Current bay
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 3 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Fri 6 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sun 8 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 54kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 224, too small
- Tue 39, too small
- Wed 416, too small
- Thu 527, too small
- Fri 644, poor
- Sat 726, too small
- Sun 822, too small
- Mon 929, too small
- Tue 1019, too small
- Wed 117, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Current bay 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 | 24, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 14°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 44, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 13°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 14 knots | 14°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 NovLow 03:39 −0.8 mHigh 10:02 +0.8 mLow 16:19 −0.8 mHigh 22:30 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:43 −0.8 mHigh 11:04 +0.8 mLow 17:19 −0.8 mHigh 23:31 +0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:43 −0.9 mHigh 12:02 +0.8 mLow 18:16 −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 and its town
Current bay 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Wainak bar 5.1 km away
- Wainakarua Bay 6.7 km away
- Kakanui 11.6 km away
- Campbell´s bay 11.9 km away
- Katiki 11.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Current bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (103°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (283°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 130). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Hampden, 5.4 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,770–US$3,360 each
about US$1,770–US$3,360 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 CHC, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$858–US$1,780 |
| 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$1,770–US$3,360 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Hampden its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Hillgrove on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 6 places to stay
- Beds in Moeraki on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 7 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 30h 25m
About 30h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CHC, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then 4h 30m by road
Flights MDW → CHC on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.