West Shore Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.46° S 176.88° E

West Shore Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 11 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's West Shore Beach sea temperature is
12.9° C
1.0° 

West Shore Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


West Shore Beach surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, ESE swell with 539 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with ESE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for West Shore Beach this week:

The surf forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at West Shore Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Sat 11th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 9s
Best Surf 3AM (Sat 18th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 15s
Most Powerful 9PM (Fri 17th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days.


Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for our local stretch of coast.

Right now, the waves aren’t exactly firing. We’ve got a bit of a lull to start. The first proper surf recommendation kicks off on Saturday the 11th of July, but honestly, it’s nothing to get too excited about. We’re looking at a combined swell energy of just (334) – moderate at best. The waves are coming in around 5 ft from the ESE with a 10-second period, so it’s a bit of a mixed bag, not a classic groundswell. The water is sitting at a cool 55°F, which feels a bit colder than normal for this time of year – that anomaly of -2°F is notable, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. Saturday morning has a gentle offshore breeze from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but the size and energy are just alright. That afternoon the wind swings a bit cross-off, but still rideable.

West Shore Beach is the only spot on the cards, and it’s a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent beach break. It’s exposed to swell, but the optimum swell direction here is NE, and we’re getting ESE pulses, so the waves aren’t lining up perfectly. Expect crowds ‘often’, so it’ll be busy.

Sunday the 12th drops off significantly – clean small waves on the morning but only 3 ft. By Monday we’re barely scraping ankle-biters, 2 ft or less. This quiet spell hangs around through until the end of the week.

Now, the standout in the whole 16-day window is Friday the 17th of July. That morning and afternoon both look sensational. We’re getting 3 ft from the ESE, but the period jumps to a very long 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, with the combined energy reading (320) and (427) – strong stuff for the size. And here’s the kicker: both sessions are glassy, no wind ripples at all. That’s about as clean as it gets. The break will be busy, but for a glassy day with that long-period push, it’s the best on offer. Keep in mind, long-period swell like this can sometimes break a bit straight at a beach break, but for a clean, easy-going paddle, it’ll be a treat.

Sunday the 19th of July is also worth a mention – glassy again with 2 ft and a 13-second period, producing clean, lined-up waves. Nice little sessions.

Beyond that, we get a gentle offshore run on Monday the 20th, but then surf drops right off again through Tuesday and Wednesday. For this area, that blank stretch isn’t unusual.

Late in the run, around Thursday the 23rd through to Sunday the 26th July, the swell size picks up big time – 5 ft to 8 ft, so it’s pushing into expert territory. But the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the quality drops. The guidance says it’s too big for the break in those conditions. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, with that moderate to strong cross-onshore wind and decent-sized swell. Unless you’re an expert looking for a challenge in messy conditions, I’d give that a miss.

The pick: Friday the 17th of July, West Shore Beach. Glossy, long-period ESE groundswell, clean as a whistle. That’s the one to circle.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
2
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
ESE
10
1.2
ESE
9
1
ESE
9
0.9
ESE
9
0.8
ESE
9
0.7
ESE
10
0.6
ESE
9
0.5
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
E
10
0.4
ESE
11
0.4
E
11
0.3
E
11
0.4
ESE
12
0.5
ESE
14
0.7
ESE
16
0.9
ESE
15
1
ESE
15
1.1
ESE
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
334
232
181
116
90
98
69
46
25
25
18
18
42
39
20
52
105
263
314
422
525
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
15
SSW
10
WSW
10
W
5
E
5
WNW
5
WNW
5
ENE
15
N
10
NNW
10
NNW
10
WNW
5
WNW
5
NE
10
WNW
5
WNW
5
SE
10
WSW
5
WSW
5
ENE
15
WNW
Wind State
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
2:14PM1.75m
2:41AM1.71m
3:11PM1.82m
3:41AM1.73m
4:09PM1.88m
4:41AM1.76m
5:09PM1.92m
5:40AM1.77m
6:09PM1.94m
6:39AM1.77m
7:06PM1.94m
7:37AM1.76m
8:01PM1.91m
Low Tide
8:34PM0.28m
8:53AM0.24m
9:34PM0.23m
9:55AM0.20m
10:33PM0.17m
10:56AM0.13m
11:32PM0.11m
11:54AM0.06m
00:31AM0.07m
12:48PM0.02m
1:29AM0.04m
1:42PM0.01m
2:23AM0.04m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:04
5:05
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
5:08
 mm
Temp °C
10
10
9
9
10
8
9
13
12
14
16
12
14
16
14
15
16
13
11
13
12
Feels °C
6
6
6
7
7
5
7
9
8
11
13
9
12
14
12
13
14
12
10
11
8
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the West Shore Beach Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for West Shore Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at West Shore Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our West Shore 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 (West Shore 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 West Shore 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.

West Shore Beach is 9 km (6 miles) from the city of Napier. If you plan a holiday in Hawkes Bay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Napier. Napier has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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