Is it worth the trip?
52Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s
Tue 3 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 91kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 267kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 385kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 124kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- WSW 13 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 406kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 473kJ
- Wind
- NNE 13 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 246, fair
- Tue 336, too small
- Wed 463, good
- Thu 564, good
- Fri 630, too small
- Sat 722, poor
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 944, poor
- Tue 1035, poor
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Feb3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 46, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 175kJ | wind from the north-east, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 91kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 63, good | 4 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 267kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 64, good | 4 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 385kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 30, too small | 3 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 124kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 22, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 13 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 4 ft12 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 406kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 44, poor | 5 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 473kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 13 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 35, poor | 3 ft11 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 248kJ | wind from the north-west, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 547kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 17 knots | 17°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:12 +0.9 mLow 09:29 −1.0 mHigh 15:52 +1.0 mLow 22:17 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:28 +0.8 mLow 10:42 −0.9 mHigh 17:05 +1.0 mLow 23:29 −1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:43 +0.8 mLow 11:52 −1.0 mHigh 18:14 +1.0 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
90 Mile Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About 90 Mile Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (267°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (87°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 85). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually February, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Waipapakauri, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Kaitaia, 13 km (about 25 min by car). Nearest airport: Kaitaia Airport (KAT), 13 km.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,290–US$2,550 each
about US$1,290–US$2,550 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to KAT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$824–US$1,720 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$47 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$221 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,550 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 13 km away
No town nearby
Waipapakauri, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Kaitaia, 13 km (about 25 min by car). Nearest airport: Kaitaia Airport (KAT), 13 km.
See places to stay near Kaitaia, 13 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 28h 55m
About 28h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → KAT, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → KAT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.