Barrels
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
54Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s, onshore wind, 11 kn (20 km/h)
Mon 2 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 209kJ
- Wind
- N 12 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tue 3 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 84kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 273kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 308kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 83kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 smushy
- Energy
- 494kJ
- Wind
- W 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 10, too big
- Mon 252, fair
- Tue 335, too small
- Wed 459, fair
- Thu 582, good
- Fri 635, poor
- Sat 740, poor
- Sun 842, poor
- Mon 953, fair
- Tue 1042, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Feb–Mar, Jun2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft10 smushy12 ft at break (est.) | 1,562kJ | wind from the west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 52, fair | 4 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 209kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 59, fair | 4 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 273kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 82, good | 4 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 308kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 40, poor | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 42, poor | 4 ft12 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 494kJ | wind from the west, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 53, fair | 4 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 376kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 42, poor | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 54, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 212kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 15°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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 02:25 +1.0 mLow 08:44 −1.1 mHigh 15:00 +1.1 mLow 21:28 −1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:35 +0.9 mLow 09:52 −1.0 mHigh 16:12 +1.1 mLow 22:40 −1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:53 +0.8 mLow 11:06 −1.0 mHigh 17:28 +1.0 mLow 23:52 −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–Mar, Jun
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
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 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 Mon 2 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, its town, photos
Barrels 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Barrels
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Barrels
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (265°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (85°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.2 km out (1 in 217). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hunua. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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: Hunua
84 min by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Hunua its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Hunua, 48 km (about 1h 25m by car)
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 25h 55m
About 25h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → AKL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.