Back Beach
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
58Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s
Tue 3 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 169kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 245kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 253kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 85kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 423kJ
- Wind
- W 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Mon 9 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 256kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 226, too small
- Tue 355, fair
- Wed 460, good
- Thu 572, good
- Fri 634, poor
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 958, fair
- Tue 1040, poor
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Feb, Apr2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Back Beach does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 26, too small | 3 ft10 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 122kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 55, fair | 4 ft8 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 169kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 60, good | 3 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 245kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 72, good | 4 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 253kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 34, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 4 ft5 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 85kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 5 ft10 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 423kJ | wind from the west, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 58, fair | 4 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 256kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 40, poor | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 100kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft8 smushy10 ft at break (est.) | 855kJ | wind from the north-west, 16 knots | 18°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 03:48 +1.0 mLow 10:05 −1.1 mHigh 16:26 +1.1 mLow 22:53 −1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:08 +0.9 mLow 11:19 −1.0 mHigh 17:42 +1.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:06 −1.1 mHigh 06:25 +0.9 mLow 12:30 −1.1 mHigh 18:52 +1.1 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 Feb, Apr
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
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 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
- Nov1of 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
Back Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Live webcam
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Live webcam
In New Plymouth, the nearest town, 7 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- Mikotai 2 km away
- Break water 3 km away
- Belt Road 4 km away
- Aquatic centre 4.3 km away
- Boulders bay 6.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Back Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (301°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (121°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 35). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 14°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February and April, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is New Plymouth, 6.6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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$1,630–US$3,120 each
about US$1,630–US$3,120 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, 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 NPL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$837–US$1,740 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$563 |
| 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$1,630–US$3,120 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: New Plymouth
about 15 min by car · 45 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About New Plymouth its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$127 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 28h 50m
About 28h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → NPL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → NPL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.