Surf Forecasts:
West Shore Beach surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, SE swell with 890 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period with E 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 Sunday (Aug 16) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m 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 1.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
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 coming up at West Shore Beach for the next couple of weeks. It’s a pretty quiet outlook overall, but there are a few windows where you’ll want to be in the water.
For the first week or so, the surf is mostly small and the conditions are just okay. The standout is shaping up for Wednesday, August 19th. The morning is looking clean with a solid 5 ft of swell coming from the southeast, with a very long period of 14 seconds. This is proper groundswell, bringing good energy into the beach (combined swell energy is 787). The wind will be offshore from the southwest at 12 mph, keeping the surface glassy. The only catch? The swell is coming from the southeast, but the beach does best with a northeast direction, so don’t expect perfection, but it will be the best we get. This swell is a bit much for beginners, but solid for an experienced surfer.
The days around that are much smaller. Tuesday the 18th has an average afternoon push to 3 ft, and Thursday the 20th has a tiny 3 ft southeast swell, still clean in the morning with a light westerly breeze, but the energy is weak (282).
Right after Thursday, things drop right off. From Friday 21st through to the end of the month, the swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, with very low energy (mostly under 100). There’s a brief, faint spike on Thursday the 27th with 4 ft from the southeast, but the wind is onshore from the northeast, so the conditions are poor. That one is a write-off.
The water temperature here is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.
So, if you want a wave, make it Wednesday the 19th morning. The rest of the window is a long gap of small, weak, and often choppy surf that isn’t worth rushing out for. This part of the coast is known for flat spells, and this run is pretty normal.
Stay patient,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Sat night, min 4°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sat night, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue night, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 14 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
247 | 173 | 125 | 234 | 302 | 304 | 183 | 84 | 200 | 576 | 787 | 305 | 216 | 135 | 112 | 57 | 15 | 39 | 39 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:06AM1.73m | 8:26PM1.79m | 8:55AM1.74m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:57AM0.09m | 2:12PM0.11m | 2:46AM0.14m | 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 | |||||||
— | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 7 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 14 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
247 | 173 | 125 | 234 | 302 | 304 | 183 | 74 | 200 | 576 | 787 | 305 | 216 | 135 | 112 | 57 | 15 | 39 | 39 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 21 | S 20 | SSE 10 | S 19 | — | SE 9 | E 11 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | — | — | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | ESE 9 | SE 13 | S 17 | SSE 8 | SSE 18 | SSE 18 |
8 | 7 | 39 | 182 | — | 196 | 112 | 84 | 33 | — | — | 53 | 22 | 135 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 61 | 60 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 19 | — | — | S 19 | S 19 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | SE 14 | S 17 | ESE 10 | SSE 8 | E 16 |
— | — | 7 | — | — | 7 | 7 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 7 | 49 | 10 | 6 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 2 | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SW 2 | SW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 3 | SW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | 5 | 25 | 217 | 168 | 1532 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 166 | 170 | 175 | 175 | 165 | 2 | 175 | 235 | 214 | 214 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 93 | 4 | 22 | 92 | 4 |
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.











