South Island West Coast · Today

Punakaiki

Updated Wed, Sep 23, 11:50 AM GMT+12

When to go

12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Large waves · Low confidence

11.9–12.0 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 5.7 kt · onshore

Cautions

Large waves are forecast. Choose conditions that suit your experience.

Forecast details

Light wind should keep the water smoother.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

12:00 PM–2:00 PM · Pacific/Auckland
Unfavorable wind · up to 7.7 kt · reported gusts up to 11.1 kt
Caution: This is the best available wind comparison, not a favorable-wind label. The selected wind is unfavorable for this break.
Offshore waves: 11.8–12.0 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data unavailable.
Wind source time: Sep 23, 11:45 AM GMT+12. This is not the model run issue time.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

Returned marine grid point is 3.6 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
Reference model hour: 0 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
Tide unavailable: assessment incomplete, especially at shallow reef breaks.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind SSW 1.8 kt

Tide Unavailable

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swellWSW 12.0 ft @ 10sValid 2026-09-23 12:00 · Pacific/AucklandMarine grid -42.1250, 171.2917 · offshore model, not a local measurement

Offshore model sea12.0 ft @ 12sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 12:00 · Pacific/Auckland

Model windSSW 1.8 ktonshoreValid 2026-09-23 12:00 · Pacific/Auckland1.8 kt onshore component

TideUnavailableunavailableNo verified local tide station connected; no tide height estimated

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Punakaiki
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	SSW 8.8 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.4 ft @ 9s
1 AM	SW 10.4 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.4 ft @ 9s
2 AM	SW 12.4 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.4 ft @ 9s
3 AM	SW 12.3 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.5 ft @ 9s
4 AM	SW 12.1 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.0 ft @ 9s
5 AM	SSW 11.4 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.4 ft @ 10s
6 AM	SW 11.4 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.8 ft @ 10s
7 AM	S 7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 12.0 ft @ 10s
8 AM	SE 3 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 12.2 ft @ 10s
9 AM	ESE 4.7 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 12.4 ft @ 10s
10 AM	ESE 6.1 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 12.3 ft @ 10s
11 AM	SE 3.8 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 12.1 ft @ 10s
Noon	SSW 1.8 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 12.0 ft @ 10s
1 PM	WSW 5.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.9 ft @ 10s
2 PM	WSW 7.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.8 ft @ 10s
3 PM	WSW 8.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.7 ft @ 10s
4 PM	SW 9.8 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.5 ft @ 10s
5 PM	SSE 5.7 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.4 ft @ 11s
6 PM	SSW 5 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.2 ft @ 11s
7 PM	S 5.8 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 11.0 ft @ 11s
8 PM	SSE 5.5 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.9 ft @ 11s
9 PM	SE 4.8 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.7 ft @ 11s
10 PM	ESE 5.6 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.6 ft @ 11s
11 PM	ESE 6.2 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	WSW 10.4 ft @ 11s

12 AMUnavailable

WindSSW 8.8 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.4 ft @ 9s

1 AMUnavailable

WindSW 10.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.4 ft @ 9s

2 AMUnavailable

WindSW 12.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.4 ft @ 9s

3 AMUnavailable

WindSW 12.3 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.5 ft @ 9s

4 AMUnavailable

WindSW 12.1 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.0 ft @ 9s

5 AMUnavailable

WindSSW 11.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.4 ft @ 10s

6 AMUnavailable

WindSW 11.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.8 ft @ 10s

7 AMUnavailable

WindS 7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 12.0 ft @ 10s

8 AMUnavailable

WindSE 3 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 12.2 ft @ 10s

9 AMUnavailable

WindESE 4.7 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 12.4 ft @ 10s

10 AMUnavailable

WindESE 6.1 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 12.3 ft @ 10s

11 AMUnavailable

WindSE 3.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 12.1 ft @ 10s

NoonUnavailable

WindSSW 1.8 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 12.0 ft @ 10s

1 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 5.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.9 ft @ 10s

2 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 7.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.8 ft @ 10s

3 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 8.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.7 ft @ 10s

4 PMUnavailable

WindSW 9.8 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.5 ft @ 10s

5 PMUnavailable

WindSSE 5.7 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.4 ft @ 11s

6 PMUnavailable

WindSSW 5 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.2 ft @ 11s

7 PMUnavailable

WindS 5.8 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 11.0 ft @ 11s

8 PMUnavailable

WindSSE 5.5 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.9 ft @ 11s

9 PMUnavailable

WindSE 4.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.7 ft @ 11s

10 PMUnavailable

WindESE 5.6 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.6 ft @ 11s

11 PMUnavailable

WindESE 6.2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellWSW 10.4 ft @ 11s

Tide

Local tide station unavailable

Tide predictions are unavailable for this period.

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Beach break. Published named-break coordinate and described Tasman Sea exposure; not a coastline survey or breaking-surf validation.

Mapped spot coordinate: -42.11, 171.33.

South Island · South Island Tasman Sea southwest-facing exposed beach coast · Ocean-facing bearing 225° · Location provenance

Model request point: Punakaiki (-42.11, 171.33). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 2/6 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier B · NEW_ZEALAND · spot-level model point

MetService New Zealand Surf Forecasts
The checked MetService public marine/surf response exposes an HTML application shell but no stable named-spot payload, timestamp schema, units, or update contract; no forecast is scraped.UnavailableNo source time
New Zealand Regional Wave Buoy Pages
Westport Harbour reports its local buoy offline and not transmitting; the regional dashboard marks its October 2025 values as equipment malfunction. Distant Fairway Beacon and Golden Bay buoys are not substituted.UnavailableNo source time
NIWA Tide Forecasting API
NIWA tide requests require an API key; no credential bypass is attempted and no station, datum, timezone, or current value is available.UnavailableNo source time
LINZ Tide Predictions and Sea-Level Data
LINZ is retained as an official tide-table reference, but no spot-specific station, distance, chart datum, timezone, and current response is connected.UnavailableNo source time
Open-Meteo Marine API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 23, 11:45 AM GMT+12
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 23, 11:45 AM GMT+12
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time
Surfline public spot pages
Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadataNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.