Surf Forecasts:
West Shore Beach surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, SE swell with 542 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at West Shore Beach in the next 16 days are 1.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 11s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for West Shore Beach over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean run. The first real chance of a wave shows up on Monday the 17th, but even then, it’s not exactly setting the world on fire.
We start off with a bit of a pulse on Monday morning. Swell is coming out of the ESE at about 5ft, with a period of 8 seconds. There’s some moderate wave energy pushing through (434), but it’s not groundswell – that short period means the waves will be a bit lumpy and weak. The wind is cross-off from the SSW at 15 mph, so it’ll be clean, but it’s a background wind. The water’s sitting at 53°, which is a bit colder than what we’d usually expect for this time of year. Not a standout, but it’s something to get wet in.
By Monday afternoon, the swell drops a touch to around 4ft from the same ESE direction, but the period stretches to 10 seconds – a little more shape. Winds go offshore. It’s still a pretty ordinary day, but if you’re itching, it’s rideable.
Tuesday the 18th rolls in with smaller surf – about 3ft from the SE – and a moderate offshore breeze from the SW at 19 mph. The energy drops right off (165), so the waves will be small and a bit weak. Wednesday the 19th is much the same story, though the afternoon shows a bit more juice (296) with 4ft from the SE. Still, nothing to write home about.
Now, Thursday the 20th? That’s where the cleanest session of the first week sits. The swell is only about 3ft from the ESE, period a shortish 8 seconds, but the wind goes glassy – light W at 3 mph. It’ll be clean as a whistle, with that slight air movement. The energy is weak (126), so don’t expect power, but if you’ve got a log, that morning glass-off is your window.
After that, it all fades hard. From Friday the 21st onward, we’re looking at a long, dusty gap. Saturday the 22nd, Sunday the 23rd, all the way through to the end of August and into early September – the swell drops to tiny little less than a foot of crap. Periods get weirdly long (12-13 seconds) on flat waves, which means no energy at all. The wind is all over the place, sometimes glassy, sometimes cross-on. The combined energy values drop to single digits and low teens – that’s basically nothing. It’s a proper flat spell.
There’s one faint flicker right at the tail end – Monday morning, August 31st – a tiny 3ft spike from the NNW with a very short 4-second period and a glassy wind. The energy is only 56, so it’s barely a ripple. That’s the desert mirage.
Honestly, the only session that’s even close to a standout is Thursday morning, August 20th at West Shore Beach. The swell is small (about 3ft, ESE), but the glassy wind and clean surface make it the pick of a very quiet bunch. It’s beginner-friendly, but don’t expect any real push. For the rest of the run, you’re better off checking the forecast again in a week – things can change, but right now, the ocean is taking a long nap.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue night, light winds from the W by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
309 | 298 | 159 | 132 | 160 | 448 | 182 | 278 | 182 | 126 | 69 | 50 | 90 | 68 | 33 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:16PM1.74m | 9:41AM1.73m | 10:05PM1.69m | 10:28AM1.70m | 10:54PM1.65m | 11:17AM1.65m | 11:43PM1.60m | 12:09PM1.60m | 00:30AM1.55m | 1:01PM1.56m | 1:17AM1.49m | 1:51PM1.52m | 2:05AM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:04PM0.18m | 3:34AM0.20m | 3:56PM0.26m | 4:22AM0.28m | 4:46PM0.32m | 5:10AM0.34m | 5:36PM0.38m | 5:58AM0.39m | 6:25PM0.42m | 6:44AM0.43m | 7:15PM0.45m | 7:30AM0.44m | 8:05PM0.46m | ||||||||
6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 11 |
Feels °C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | -2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 |
309 | 298 | 159 | 132 | 160 | 448 | 182 | 278 | 182 | 126 | 69 | 50 | 65 | 68 | 33 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | — | SSE 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | S 14 | SE 13 | S 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | S 16 | E 14 | E 13 | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
125 | 144 | 130 | 33 | 33 | — | 186 | 50 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 19 | S 19 | — | E 11 | — | SSE 15 | ESE 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 18 | SE 12 | ESE 10 | S 11 | S 9 | S 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | S 9 |
— | 7 | 7 | — | 2 | — | 45 | 18 | 158 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 90 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSE 9 | SW 3 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | — | — | — |
58 | 1229 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 169 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 288 | 227 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 93 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 29 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Hawkes Bay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











