Surf Forecasts:
West Shore Beach surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, SE swell with 335 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 11s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for West Shore Beach. The swell window is just not lining up, and we’re staring down a long stretch of tiny, weak waves. The models are showing a real dry spell for surf, with the first few days offering nothing more than knee-high slop.
The best we can hope for in the near term is Wednesday morning, the 19th. We’ve got a 5ft swell coming out of the southeast, with a period around 10 seconds. The wind is offshore from the southwest, so it should be clean. The energy is moderate, coming in at 357, but it's just not enough to make this spot really sing. It’s rideable, and for a beginner, it might be okay, but it’s nothing to get excited about. The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 54°, which is about 3° below average—you’ll feel that chill.
The rest of that week just fades away. Thursday morning drops to a 3ft swell, and the wind goes cross-off, making it a messy, ordinary day. By Friday morning, we’re down to 2ft, but at least it’s glassy with a light offshore breeze. The swell energy is weak at 65, and it’s just not doing anything. The weekend is basically a write-off, with waves dropping to 0.7ft. There’s a long-period groundswell showing up on Sunday at 13 seconds, but it’s tiny and clean, not worth the paddle.
The whole stretch from the 22nd through the 27th is a gap of absolutely nothing. We’re talking about days of flat, or near-flat, conditions. The swell height barely registers, and the energy is in the low double digits. You’re better off finding another hobby for a week.
Now, there is a bit of a pulse around the 28th. Friday afternoon sees a bump to 5ft, but it’s coming from the northeast with a terrible 6 second period, and the wind is howling onshore. This one is a mess—choppy and blown out. The energy is moderate at 225, but the quality is junk. Honestly, if you’re looking at that wind and the short-period, choppy surf, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle folk.
After that, it’s back to nothing. Small, weak waves from the east in the 1ft range with no power. The rest of the window into the first week of September is just more of the same. There’s a bit of a clean-up on the 3rd, but with a 1ft swell, there’s nothing to ride.
The bottom line is this: there are no standouts in this entire 16-day forecast. If you have to get wet, Wednesday the 19th is the only window that offers anything resembling a real surf, but it’s marginal. This is a blank run, and for this area, that’s not entirely normal, but it happens. The forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be looking at other things to do.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 6°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | E 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
357 | 335 | 255 | 123 | 126 | 96 | 65 | 88 | 38 | 23 | 9 | 17 | 34 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 32 | 11 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 2:38PM1.50m | 2:53AM1.38m | 3:23PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:18AM0.44m | 8:52PM0.45m | 9:06AM0.42m | 9:38PM0.41m | ||||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 1 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ENE 3 |
357 | 335 | 255 | 123 | 126 | 96 | 65 | 88 | 38 | 23 | 9 | 17 | 34 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 1 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | S 14 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | ENE 3 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 4 | S 9 | S 18 | S 18 | S 18 | S 17 | E 12 |
43 | 51 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 28 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 13 | — | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 18 | S 16 | — | S 16 | — | E 14 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 9 | S 14 | S 8 | E 6 | — | ESE 13 | S 17 |
— | 7 | — | 212 | 51 | 6 | 133 | — | 20 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | — | 32 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | S 11 | — | S 8 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | NNW 3 | WSW 2 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
9 | 1265 | — | 382 | 476 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 169 | 2 | 2 | 93 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 16 | 22 | 101 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 4 | 23 |
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.











