Surf Forecasts:
West Shore Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 12s period, SE swell with 66 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at West Shore Beach in the next 16 days are 0.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Shore Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’ve had a look at what’s on offer for the next sixteen days, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s looking pretty lean. The window kicks off on Thursday morning, the 27th of August, but don’t get your hopes up. The only break in the mix is West Shore Beach. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.
The forecast opens with a weak, 0.7ft swell from the ESE on Thursday morning, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is only 13, so there’s very little power. The onshore breeze will keep things messy, and it’s just not worth paddling out. Thursday afternoon doesn’t improve either – we’re looking at 1ft of short-period, 4-second wind swell from the SE, giving a combined energy of 12, and the wind is cross-on. Not good.
Friday the 28th isn’t much better. The swell picks up a touch to 2ft on Friday morning from the ENE, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s just wind chop. The combined energy rises to 24, but it’s still weak. The wind is onshore at 12 mph, which is straight-on and ugly. Friday afternoon is the same story, just cross-on wind and chop.
Saturday the 29th might be the closest thing to a saving grace, but it’s still far from great. The swell is 2ft from the NE, period is 6 seconds, and combined energy is 56 – still on the low side. The morning is cross-on, so it’s choppy. However, Saturday afternoon offers a bit of hope: the wind goes glassy, at just 3 mph from the NE, and the swell is 2ft from the ENE. The energy drops to 42, but with glassy conditions, it’s the most surfable window of the entire period. The break is a beginner-friendly beach, so if you’re learning, this could be a window to get some small, clean waves. Expect crowds as this spot is often busy.
From Sunday the 30th right through to the end of the forecast, it’s a long dry spell. The swell drops to 1.0ft or less, with combined energy rarely above 18, and often down to just 2 or 3. The wind is frequently offshore or glassy, but there’s simply no swell to work with. The period does get longer, up to 10-11 seconds at times, but with no height, it’s a flat spell. The only faint glimmer is on the 10th of September, when the swell nudges up to 3ft from the NE, with a period of 5 seconds and combined energy of 33. The morning is glassy, but the swell is windswell with no real power. The 11th of September morning has 2ft from the ENE at 10 seconds, with 54 combined energy and glassy wind – it’s surfable but very ordinary. Even then, it’s not a standout.
To be honest, this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a struggle for waves. A few breaks in the area are fairly consistent, so this kind of blank run is a bit unusual, but it’s what we’ve got right now. The standouts? There aren’t any. The only session that’s worth a mention is Saturday afternoon, the 29th of August, at West Shore Beach – small, clean, and glassy. Don’t expect much else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sun afternoon, light winds from the NE by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ESE 13 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | SE 12 | E 9 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 7 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 17 | 31 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 28 | 66 | 2 | 6 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:08AM1.68m | 9:35PM1.67m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:23PM0.23m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 18 | SE 5 | E 5 | SSE 12 | NE 5 | SE 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | SSE 10 | SSE 14 | SE 7 | SSE 17 | SSE 14 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
66 | 7 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 32 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 39 | 105 | 8 | 59 | 233 | 28 | 66 | 30 | 29 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | E 11 | SE 12 | SE 14 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 17 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 12 | S 16 | E 9 | E 9 |
13 | 63 | 59 | 3 | 37 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 28 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 16 | E 10 | — | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 18 | — | E 10 | — | — | SSE 16 | E 9 | S 16 | SE 12 |
— | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | 17 | 16 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | — | 8 | — | — | 27 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | N 3 | NE 5 | NE 4 | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 32 | 28 | 8 | 29 | 6 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 93 | 91 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 4 | 23 | 23 | 102 | 29 | 15 | 6 | 29 | 44 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 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.











