Is it worth the trip?
57Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s, 4 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 s
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- NE 15 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 s
- Energy
- 234kJ
- Wind
- NE 17 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 s
- Energy
- 342kJ
- Wind
- NE 19 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 134kJ
- Wind
- NNE 14 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 109kJ
- Wind
- NE 15 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 108kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 s
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 276, good
- Tue 323, too small
- Wed 456, fair
- Thu 581, good
- Fri 661, good
- Sat 754, fair
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 932, too small
- Tue 1039, too small
- Wed 1151, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
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 | 76, good | 3 ft9 s5 ft at break (est.) | 180kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 10 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft9 s3 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 56, fair | 3 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 234kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 17 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 81, good | 4 ft10 s6 ft at break (est.) | 342kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 19 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 61, good | 3 ft9 s4 ft at break (est.) | 134kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 54, fair | 4 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 4 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 108kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft11 s3 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 39, too small | 2 ft10 s3 ft at break (est.) | 82kJ | offshorewind from the north, 17 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 51, fair | 4 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 98kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft9 s3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 16°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 05:56 −0.8 mHigh 12:15 +0.8 mLow 18:35 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:43 +0.7 mLow 06:54 −0.8 mHigh 13:13 +0.8 mLow 19:33 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:42 +0.7 mLow 07:54 −0.8 mHigh 14:11 +0.8 mLow 20:32 −0.7 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
No month stands out
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
- 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
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Hardings road 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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Hardings road
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (177°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (357°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. 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). No town nearby. Māhia, 42 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Wairoa, 66 km. Nearest airport: Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE), 89 km.
Water about 16°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$1,400–US$2,730 each
about US$1,400–US$2,730 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to NPE, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$825–US$1,720 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$302–US$564 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$221 |
| Total | about US$1,400–US$2,730 |
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 66 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Māhia, 42 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Wairoa, 66 km. Nearest airport: Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE), 89 km.
See places to stay near Wairoa, 66 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 30h 20m
About 30h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → NPE, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 1h 50m by road
Flights MDW → NPE on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.