Surf Forecasts:
West Shore Beach surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, SE swell with 715 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period with ENE 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s is also forecast. 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 1.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 15s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at West Shore Beach.
First thing: you’re gonna be waiting a bit. Thursday the 13th is a total bust – weak, messy, not worth paddling out. But don’t write it off yet.
Friday the 14th morning shows some life: 1.5m of ENE swell, glassy, with a combined energy of 276 – that’s a moderate push. It’s clean and small, a good session for a beginner. The afternoon gets more marginal.
Now, Saturday the 15th is the real deal. The morning has 2.0m of E swell, glassy, and the combined energy jumps to 777 – that’s a strong, punchy wall of energy. This is the best session of the whole stretch: clean, solid size, good shape. The afternoon is smaller but still glassy, so if you miss the morning, you’ll still find something.
Sunday the 16th is a washout – strong SW winds, onshore, making a mess of things. Skip it.
Then we get a nice run from Monday the 17th through Wednesday the 19th. Monday morning has 1.1m of SE swell, fresh offshore SW winds, energy at 356 (moderate). The afternoon bumps to 1.3m, energy 522 – that’s very good. Tuesday the 18th keeps it going with 1.3m to 1.4m, offshore winds, good energy. Wednesday the 19th morning is the best of this stretch: 1.3m of SE swell, period up to 14 seconds (a proper groundswell), offshore winds, energy at 668 – that’s a powerful, clean, quality session. The afternoon fades, but the morning is a gem.
After Wednesday the 19th, the surf drops off hard. Thursday the 20th through the end of the month is mostly tiny, weak, and flat. There’s a small window on Friday the 28th morning with 1.0m of E swell and gentle offshore SW winds, energy 211 – rideable, but nothing special.
So, the standout is Saturday morning the 15th – that’s the one to circle. The Monday-to-Wednesday run (17th–19th) is also very good, especially Wednesday morning. After that, it’s a long, flat spell.
Water temperature is about average for this time of year – nothing out of the ordinary.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri night, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 12°C on Sat night, min 5°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
117 | 53 | 56 | 209 | 192 | 107 | 159 | 548 | 181 | 163 | 145 | 94 | 108 | 260 | 391 | 715 | 445 | 328 | 133 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 5:21AM1.69m | 5:49PM1.85m | 6:19AM1.70m | 6:44PM1.85m | 7:14AM1.71m | 7:36PM1.82m | 8:06AM1.73m | 8:26PM1.79m | 8:55AM1.74m | 9:16PM1.74m | 9:41AM1.73m | 10:05PM1.69m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:13PM0.09m | 11:34AM0.04m | 00:11AM0.07m | 12:27PM0.03m | 1:06AM0.07m | 1:19PM0.06m | 1:57AM0.09m | 2:12PM0.11m | 2:46AM0.14m | 3:04PM0.18m | 3:34AM0.20m | 3:56PM0.26m | |||||||
— | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 12 | — | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 14 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 12 |
117 | 53 | 21 | 85 | 72 | 71 | 18 | 212 | 181 | 163 | 145 | 94 | 238 | 260 | 391 | 715 | 445 | 328 | 203 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | — | SSE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | E 10 | — | SE 12 | ESE 10 |
17 | 14 | 35 | 17 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | — | 18 | 15 | 108 | 96 | 131 | 44 | — | 212 | 133 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | S 19 | S 18 | S 18 | S 19 | — | S 19 | S 19 | S 19 | E 10 | — | — | — |
4 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 7 | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 64 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | — | — | SSW 3 | S 9 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 |
31 | 33 | 56 | 209 | 192 | 107 | 159 | 548 | — | — | 9 | 217 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 20 | 44 | 2 | 2 | 92 | 46 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 170 | 167 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 194 | 225 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Hawkes Bay | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











