Whangaparaoa Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(East Cape, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Weather State
Spot Information

Whangaparaoa Surf Guide

Whangaparaoa in East Cape is a sheltered beach and reef break that only works once in a while with no particular seasonal pattern. The best wind direction is from the southeast and there is no shelter here from cross shore breezes. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell direction is from the north northwest. The beach break provides left and right handers. Good surf at all stages of the tide. The location means that it never gets crowded.

Whangaparaoa Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach and reef	2	inconsistent	18.6°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Whangaparaoa:

The best conditions reported for surf at Whangaparaoa occur when a North-northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Southeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Whangaparaoa (for consistent clean waves)?

marchBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Whangaparaoa with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of March. Clean surfable waves are typically found 1% of the time in March while 4% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 95% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

95%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Whangaparaoa Location Map

Interactive Whangaparaoa surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Whangaparaoa is Whakatane Airport (WHK) in New Zealand, 102 km (63 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Whangaparaoa is Gisborne Airport (GIS), also in New Zealand, 121 km (75 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Whangaparaoa Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 22:02 Local Time

m, °C	Wed	Thursday 07
ft, °F	9PM	0AM	3AM	6AM
Wave (m)	E	NE	NE	NE
Period (s)	10	6	6	6
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross- on	cross	cross

What does Whangaparaoa look like?

Latest photos from Whangaparaoa. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Rob Davies

Whangaparaoa Sea Temperature

The water temperature (18.6 °C) at Whangaparaoa is relatively warm. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a summer wetsuit. Effective air temperature of 18.0 °C.

Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 18.6°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite