Whale Watch Reef surfForecast / Kaikoura and Marlborough / New Zealand

information circle48hr Weather and Surf, issued 11 am Sunday 24 May 2026 NZST
Forecast 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
13.1° C
(Which is 1.0°C warmer than normal for this time of year)

How big are the waves at Whale Watch Reef today?

The current surf forecast for Whale Watch Reef at 2PM is: 0.4m 10s primary swell from a Northeast direction (forecast issued at 11:00am May 24). An open ocean swell of 1.3m 14s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be cross-onshore.

Time (NZST) & DateWave HeightWave Period
Morning (24 May)1.5ft (0.4m)10s
Afternoon (24 May)1.5ft (0.4m)10s
Evening (24 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 Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
24
Monday
25
Tuesday
26
Wed
27
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
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height MapHeight MapHeight Map
Height MapHeight MapHeight Map
Height MapHeight MapHeight Map
Height MapHeight MapHeight Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
11
0.4
ENE
11
0.6
ENE
11
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.7
NE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.4
ENE
11
0.4
ENE
11
0.4
ENE
11
0.4
ENE
12
0.4
ENE
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
25
24
23
33
48
79
73
72
71
72
71
106
68
57
56
56
56
56
58
44
45
48
53
49
Wind (km/h)
5
NNE
10
ENE
15
ENE
15
NE
15
NE
15
NNE
10
NNE
5
N
5
WSW
5
S
5
SSE
5
NNW
5
NNW
5
W
5
SW
10
WSW
10
SW
20
SSW
15
S
15
S
5
SSW
5
SSE
0
SE
5
NE
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
off
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
High Tide
11:03AM1.95m
11:33PM1.95m
11:56AM1.90m
00:25AM1.90m
12:50PM1.87m
1:16AM1.87m
Low Tide
5:15PM0.45m
5:52AM0.48m
6:10PM0.52m
6:43AM0.51m
7:07PM0.59m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
light rain
light rain
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:37
7:37
7:39
7:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:06
5:05
5:04
5:04
1
1
Temp °C
10
12
12
10
10
10
11
11
11
13
13
13
13
13
13
12
13
12
11
10
10
9
9
9
8
9
9
7
7
7
9
9
9
12
12
12
11
11
11
9
9
7
8
7
8
7
8
7
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SSW
14
1.3
SSW
14
1.3
S
14
1.4
S
15
1.5
S
15
1.5
S
15
1.6
S
15
1.6
S
14
1.6
S
14
1.7
S
14
1.6
S
13
1.6
S
13
1.6
S
13
1.5
S
12
1.4
S
12
1.4
S
12
1.3
S
12
1.3
S
12
1.2
S
12
1.1
S
12
1.3
S
8
1.8
S
15
2.5
S
15
3
S
15
Energy kJ
765
665
703
882
1065
1010
1087
1042
1014
1063
888
865
839
692
572
563
472
464
418
347
207
1377
2665
3778
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
11
0.4
ENE
11
0.6
ENE
11
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.7
NE
10
0.6
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.4
ENE
11
1.1
S
11
0.4
ENE
11
0.4
ENE
12
0.4
ENE
11
Energy kJ
25
24
23
33
48
79
73
72
71
72
71
106
68
57
56
56
56
56
58
44
302
47
53
49
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
ENE
13
0.2
ENE
12
0.2
ENE
12
0.4
NE
9
0.4
NE
9
0.5
NE
4
0.5
NE
4
0.6
NNE
5
0.5
NE
5
0.5
NE
5
0.5
NE
5
0.4
NE
5
0.2
NNE
5
0.2
N
5
0.4
ENE
11
0.4
ENE
11
Energy kJ
17
14
14
21
20
9
9
14
12
14
13
5
3
2
45
48
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
NE
3
0.5
NE
3
0.7
NNE
4
0.7
NE
4
0.7
NE
4
0.6
NE
4
0.6
NE
4
0.4
SSW
3
0.7
SSW
4
0.9
SSW
4
1.1
S
5
1.3
S
7
Energy kJ
2
5
11
15
14
13
14
3
12
31
69
167
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
Distance (km)
9
15
9
25
25
25
25
15
15
0
0
0
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
61
114
0
0
0
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaikoura and Marlborough
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
3
3
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand
Rating
(10 max)
7
6
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
7
7
7
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
7
6
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
5
4
4
5
7
9
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder

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