West Shore Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.46° S 176.88° E

West Shore Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 12 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's West Shore Beach sea temperature is
12.8° C
1.1° 

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: Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, ESE swell with 1,028 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at West Shore Beach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Sun 12th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 9s
Best Surf12PM (Fri 17th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 15s
Most Powerful12PM (Sat 18th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 14s

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


Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin' over the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – the next few days are pretty flat and ordinary. We’ve got a bit of a lull to sit through before things get interesting. From Sunday the 12th through to Wednesday the 15th, the swell is tiny and weak, with the combined energy barely cracking 100 (116) at best, and dropping to a measly 25. It’s surfable in the sense you could float around, but not worth paddling out for. The wind is mostly light and cross-off or glassy at times, but with waves under 2 ft, it’s just not happening.

The real action starts to show on Thursday the 16th. The morning is still small, but that afternoon we see a jump in period to 15 seconds, and the combined energy hits 122. It’s still small at 2 ft, but glassy conditions with easterly breeze make it clean. Then Friday the 17th is the first true standout. The morning brings a 3 ft ESE groundswell with a 15-second period, light westerly cross-off wind, and the combined energy is a solid 457. That’s a moderate energy bump, and the conditions are clean. The water is a bit colder than normal at 55°F, about 2°F cooler than average for this time of year, so bring a thicker wetsuit. This is the best on offer early on, and it’s a good one for a session at West Shore Beach.

Saturday the 18th gets a bit feisty. The afternoon sees a 5 ft swell from the SE with a 14-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1177. That’s strong wave energy. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the south at 16 mph, but it’s clean. This is probably the biggest, cleanest swell of the first week, but it’s pushing into the 5 ft mark, so it’s getting a bit much for beginners. Still, for the rest of us, it’s a good window.

After that, the swell backs off a bit through the 19th and 20th, with clean but smaller waves. Then we hit a rough patch from the 21st to the 23rd, with strong onshore winds and rain, making conditions sloppy and messy. The swell tries to build again on the 22nd, with a 7 ft E swell, but it’s a short-period windswell (8 seconds) and the wind is cross-shore and lumpy. Not great.

Now, the big story is the last few days of the month. Starting Thursday the 23rd through Saturday the 25th, we’ve got a solid 10 ft to 12 ft groundswell from the east, with periods of 11 to 12 seconds. The combined energy is massive – over 2000, peaking at 2925. That’s very strong wave energy. But here’s the catch: the forecast says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. The wind is light and often glassy or offshore, but at this size, it’s only for experts. If you’re a seasoned charger, the morning of the 26th is your best bet. That Sunday morning has a 7 ft ESE swell, glassy conditions, and a combined energy of 1008. The forecast is calling for excellent conditions for experienced surfers.

So overall, the standout windows are Friday the 17th morning for a fun, clean, moderate swell, and then the morning of Sunday the 26th for a bigger, cleaner, expert-only session. The rest of the time is either flat, messy, or too big. Stay patient.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
1
3
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
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
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
15
0.5
ESE
15
0.8
ESE
16
1
ESE
15
1.2
ESE
16
1.3
ESE
15
1.1
ESE
14
1.4
SE
14
0.9
ESE
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
116
90
98
69
45
25
25
18
19
25
24
22
44
121
302
451
697
766
465
799
257
Wind (km/h)
10
W
5
E
5
WNW
5
WNW
5
NE
15
N
10
N
15
NNW
10
WNW
5
WNW
10
NNW
10
WNW
10
NW
5
E
5
NNW
5
WNW
5
NNE
15
WNW
20
SSW
20
S
5
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
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
8:31AM1.75m
8:53PM1.86m
Low Tide
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
2:37PM0.04m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
light rain
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:05
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
5:08
5:08
 mm
1
Temp °C
10
10
8
10
14
13
16
16
13
17
18
15
16
16
13
15
16
12
10
9
8
Feels °C
8
7
5
8
12
9
12
12
10
15
15
13
14
14
12
13
14
8
4
2
4
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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