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Whale Watch Reef Surf Forecast
/ Kaikoura and Marlborough (12 surf breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
Whale Watch Reef surfForecast / Kaikoura and Marlborough / New Zealand
48hr Weather and Surf, issued 11 am Tuesday 26 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Whale Watch Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Whale Watch Reef sea temperature is
12.8° C
(Which is slightly warmer than usual)How big are the waves at Whale Watch Reef today?
The current surf forecast for Whale Watch Reef at 5PM is: 0.5m 10s primary swell from a East-northeast direction and 0.4m 10s secondary swell from a East-northeast direction (forecast issued at 11:00am May 26). An open ocean swell of 1.2m 12s is not directed at the surf break, a second open ocean swell of 0.8m 5s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be cross-offshore.
| Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (26 May) | 1.5ft (0.5m) | 10s |
| Afternoon (26 May) | 1.5ft (0.5m) | 10s |
| Evening (26 May) | 1.5ft (0.4m) | 11s |
Table - waves today at Whale Watch Reef. (Swell directed towards the surf break)
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 26 | Wednesday 27 | Thursday 28 | Fri 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 AM | 12 PM | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | 12 AM | 3 AM | 6 AM | 9 AM | 12 PM | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | 12 AM | 3 AM | 6 AM | 9 AM | 12 PM | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | 12 AM | 3 AM | 6 AM | |
Swell Height Map |    |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 11 | S 11 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | NE 11 | ENE 11 | NE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | |
56 | 56 | 58 | 43 | 44 | 0 | 53 | 49 | 48 | 84 | 48 | 97 | 85 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 77 | 50 | 42 | 40 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | |
High Tide | 12:50PM1.87m | 1:16AM1.87m | 1:43PM1.87m | 2:05AM1.85m | 2:34PM1.89m | 2:55AM1.83m | ||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 6:43AM0.51m | 7:07PM0.59m | 7:31AM0.55m | 8:04PM0.63m | 8:17AM0.58m | 8:56PM0.66m | ||||||||||||||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:41 |
 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | — | — | 5:01 |
— | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 15 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 |
 kJ | 477 | 464 | 377 | 411 | 307 | 354 | 1924 | 2842 | 3001 | 2785 | 2542 | 2313 | 2068 | 1814 | 1762 | 1736 | 1951 | 2402 | 3436 | 4527 | 4722 | 3831 | 3157 | 2650 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | S 6 | S 15 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | NE 11 | ENE 11 | — | ENE 11 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 |
| kJ | 56 | 56 | 121 | 43 | 60 | 291 | 53 | 49 | 48 | 79 | 48 | — | 85 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 77 | 50 | 42 | 40 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | ENE 10 | — | ENE 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | ENE 11 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 6 | 3 | 58 | — | 44 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 9 | 7 | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 11 | NNE 3 | NE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 15 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | 8 | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 142 | 35 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 88 | 25 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 19 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaikoura and Marlborough | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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