Surf Forecasts:
West Shore Beach surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, NE swell with 65 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for West Shore Beach this week:
The most powerful waves expected at West Shore Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's be straight with you – if you're looking for a wave to get your blood pumping around here over the next couple of weeks, it's going to be a very long wait. This stretch of coastline is looking pretty flat for the entire 16-day window. We're talking a real dry spell.
The only spot on the radar is West Shore Beach, but honestly, it's a tough sell. It's a beginner-friendly spot that's fairly consistent, but the swell is just not cooperating. The water's sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want the thick rubber if you're even thinking about going in.
Let's walk through this. From Wednesday the 26th of August all the way through to Tuesday the 10th of September, every single day shows "poor surf conditions." That's a solid stretch of nothing. We are looking at swell heights that barely tickle the 3ft mark and combined swell energy numbers that are almost all below 100 (most are in the single digits or low teens), showing the weak energy in the water. A little pulse shows up around the 28th of August with some 3ft swell from the ENE, but the period is a short 5 seconds – that's just wind slop – and the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy. That won't be any fun.
There are a couple of moments where the wind goes offshore or glassy, like the morning of the 31st of August with a gentle offshore breeze and clean conditions, and the 10th of September morning with glassy conditions. But with barely 0.7ft of swell and combined energy at just 6 and 14, you'd be sitting on a flat lake. The only time we see a tiny bit of energy is Monday the 7th of September, with 3ft swell from the NE and a combined energy of 38 in the morning and 43 in the afternoon, but again, it's a short 5-second period and blown out by a cross-onshore or cross wind. It's rough out there.
The predominant swell direction is all over the place, from ESE, ENE, to NNE, and the guidance points to a NE optimum, but the swell is so small and weak it doesn't matter. With these conditions, for a beach break like this, it looks more suited to a kite than a surfboard for the few days there is any wind at all.
I wish I had better news, but sometimes the ocean just shuts down. Hang in there, forecasts can change, but for now, the board stays in the van.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sun night, calm by Mon afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | ESE 12 | E 11 | ESE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 13 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 16 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 44 | 26 | 17 | 25 | 28 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 61 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 4:08PM1.47m | 4:28AM1.36m | 4:54PM1.48m | 5:17AM1.39m | 5:42PM1.51m | 6:06AM1.44m | 6:28PM1.55m | 6:53AM1.50m | 7:15PM1.60m | 7:39AM1.57m | 8:00PM1.64m | 8:24AM1.63m | 8:47PM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:24PM0.37m | 10:43AM0.34m | 11:10PM0.32m | 11:27AM0.30m | 11:58PM0.28m | 12:12PM0.26m | 00:44AM0.24m | 12:57PM0.23m | 1:30AM0.22m | 1:43PM0.22m | 2:15AM0.21m | 2:32PM0.22m | 3:00AM0.21m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 13 |
Feels °C | 17 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SSE 18 | SSE 18 | E 5 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 16 | 14 | 66 | 63 | 27 | 15 | 28 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 69 | 196 | 47 | 35 | 53 | 61 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 18 | E 11 | SE 11 | SSE 17 | E 10 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 3 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 59 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | — | — | — | SE 11 | E 16 | E 10 | — | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 10 | S 20 | — | E 10 | S 18 | — | E 9 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | 17 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 8 | — | 2 | 6 | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 2 | — | ESE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | — | — | S 3 | — | W 2 | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | 5 | 44 | 26 | 17 | 25 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 23 | 23 | 13 | 95 | 20 | 15 | 23 | 15 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 234 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 13 |
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.
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