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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 pm Friday 22 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
13.2° 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 4AM is: 0.5m 5s primary swell from a Northeast direction (forecast issued at 11:00pm May 22). An open ocean swell of 0.9m 12s is not directed at the surf break, a second open ocean swell of 0.5m 3s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be offshore.
| Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (23 May) | 0.5ft (0.2m) | 6s |
| Afternoon (23 May) | 0.5ft (0.1m) | 12s |
| Evening (23 May) | 1ft (0.3m) | 12s |
Table - waves today at Whale Watch Reef. (Swell directed towards the surf break)
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri night, min 10°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 23 | Sunday 24 | Monday 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 9 AM | 12 PM | 3 PM | 6 PM | |
Swell Height Map |    |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 12 | SSW 11 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 11 | NE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | |
23 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 33 | 78 | 79 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 69 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross | off | off | off | off | glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | |
High Tide | 9:41PM2.09m | 10:10AM2.00m | 10:39PM2.01m | 11:03AM1.95m | 11:33PM1.95m | 11:56AM1.90m | ||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 4:02AM0.40m | 4:20PM0.39m | 4:57AM0.44m | 5:15PM0.45m | 5:52AM0.48m | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:05 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
15 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | S 14 | S 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 |
 kJ | 273 | 280 | 271 | 198 | 192 | 228 | 188 | 117 | 372 | 644 | 857 | 811 | 777 | 655 | 724 | 904 | 1065 | 1037 | 1102 | 1042 | 1142 | 1078 | 1001 | 865 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 12 | S 13 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 5 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 8 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 92 | 21 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 33 | 48 | 79 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 72 | 15 | 69 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | NNE 5 | NE 4 | NE 5 | SE 4 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | NE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | NE 9 | NE 9 | — | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 10 | NE 5 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 20 | — | — | — | 12 | 14 | 71 | 15 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | SW 3 | SSW 3 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 9 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 23 | — | 4 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 6 | 78 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 18 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaikoura and Marlborough | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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