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Banks Ave
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
5Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (2 ft swell at 6 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNE 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- E 12 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- N 13 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 25, too small
- Tue 32, too small
- Wed 44, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 95, too small
- Tue 1017, too small
- Wed 1110, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
Banks Ave does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft4 s | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north, 12 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft12 s | 2kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 4, too small | 2 ft6 s | 28kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | 3 ft6 s | 53kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft6 s | 23kJ | offshorewind from the north, 13 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | 3 ft5 s | 37kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | 2 ft6 s | 16kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft6 s | 13kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft6 s | 45kJ | offshorewind from the north, 15 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft5 s | 36kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 19°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 00:38 +0.8 mLow 06:52 −0.9 mHigh 13:15 +0.9 mLow 19:33 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:39 +0.7 mLow 07:52 −0.8 mHigh 14:15 +0.8 mLow 20:35 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:44 +0.7 mLow 08:55 −0.8 mHigh 15:17 +0.8 mLow 21:38 −0.8 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Banks Ave 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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Photos of Banks Ave
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Live webcam
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Live webcam
Port of Tauranga - Berth 1 and 2
Port of Tauranga - Berths 1-5, 3 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- Mount main beach 0.6 km away
- Mt Maunganui 0.6 km away
- Blowhole 0.9 km away
- Mt Reef (Artificial) 0.9 km away
- Mount Maunganui 1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Banks Ave
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (215°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (35°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Mount Maunganui, 4.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 climbing area.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,740–US$3,300 each
about US$1,740–US$3,300 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$831–US$1,720 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| 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$1,740–US$3,300 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Mount Maunganui its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Papamoa on Booking.com
about 30 min by car
- Beds in Maketu on Booking.com
about 50 min by car · 4 places to stay
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 27h 35m
About 27h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 2h 50m by road
Flights MDW → AKL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.