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Ward Beach Surf Forecast
/ Kaikoura and Marlborough (12 surf breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
Ward Beach surfForecast / Kaikoura and Marlborough / New Zealand
12 Day Weather and Surf, issued 6 pm Sunday 14 Dec 2025 NZDTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Ward Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Ward Beach sea temperature is
15.4° C
(Which is 1.0°C warmer than normal for this time of year)Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ward Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Ward Beach over the next 12 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Dec 18) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ward Beach in the next 12 days are 2.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Dec 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Dec 16) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 18th Dec) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 21st Dec) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sat 20th Dec) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ward Beach over the next 12 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range Forecast Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NNW on Mon afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Tue night). | Days 3-6 Weather Summary Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the SSW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 14 | Monday 15 | Tuesday 16 | Wednesday 17 | Thursday 18 | Friday 19 | Saturday 20 | |||||||||||||||||
| PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |||
Rating (10 max) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| Wave Height (m) & direction (?) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Period(s) (?) | 9 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | ||
Wave (?)Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ (?) | 12 | 43 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 36 | 349 | 378 | 172 | 121 | 70 | 56 | 40 | 39 | 183 | 375 | 191 | 112 | 166 | ||
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wind State (?) onshore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore offshore glassy | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | off | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | cross- on | cross- on | cross | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | off | cross- on | cross- on | glass | cross | cross- on | ||
High Tide / height (m) | 2:33AM 1.26 | 2:50PM 1.24 | 3:20AM 1.26 | 3:38PM 1.20 | 4:07AM 1.27 | 4:26PM 1.18 | 4:54AM 1.29 | 5:15PM 1.18 | 5:41AM 1.31 | 6:03PM 1.18 | 6:28AM 1.33 | 6:51PM 1.19 | 7:16AM 1.35 | ||||||||||
Low Tide / height (m) | 8:22PM 0.21 | 8:48AM 0.28 | 9:10PM 0.25 | 9:42AM 0.31 | 9:59PM 0.28 | 10:35AM 0.32 | 10:47PM 0.30 | 11:26AM 0.31 | 11:35PM 0.30 | 12:15PM 0.30 | 12:22AM 0.29 | 1:02PM 0.27 | 1:08AM 0.27 | ||||||||||
Sun 14 | Monday 15 | Tuesday 16 | Wednesday 17 | Thursday 18 | Friday 19 | Saturday 20 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sunrise | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:43 | - | - | 5:43 | - | - | 5:43 | ||
| Sunset | 8:52 | - | - | 8:52 | - | - | 8:53 | - | - | 8:54 | - | - | 8:54 | - | - | 8:55 | - | - | 8:57 | - | - | ||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | |  | | |  | | | | |||
Rain (mm) | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | - | ||
| Temp. °C | 21 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | ||
| Feels °C (?) | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | ||
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FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Ward Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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Information about the Ward Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ward Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 12 days. A general guide to surfing at Ward Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ward Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Ward Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Ward Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
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