Houghton Bay
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
44Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 3 ft swell at 10 s, 4 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNW 21 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 212kJ
- Wind
- NNW 14 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 158kJ
- Wind
- NNW 13 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- NNW 21 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 19kJ
- Wind
- NNW 20 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 31kJ
- Wind
- NNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 220, too small
- Tue 318, too small
- Wed 474, good
- Thu 571, good
- Fri 638, too small
- Sat 722, too small
- Sun 813, too small
- Mon 923, too small
- Tue 1033, too small
- Wed 1120, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Feb–Apr, Nov2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 28 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 18, too small | 1 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 21 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 74, good | 3 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 212kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 14 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 71, good | 3 ft9 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 13 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 38, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 21 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 22, too small | 1 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 9 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft12 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 20 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 23, too small | 1 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 33, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 12 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 10 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
- Mon 2 NovLow 05:18 −0.6 mHigh 11:26 +0.6 mLow 17:59 −0.6 mHigh 23:52 +0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 06:11 −0.6 mHigh 12:18 +0.6 mLow 18:50 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:43 +0.5 mLow 07:05 −0.6 mHigh 13:11 +0.6 mLow 19:41 −0.5 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, Nov
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
- 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
- Nov2of 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, its town, photos
Houghton Bay 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 Houghton Bay
More surf near here
5 places
- The Island (Island Bay) 0.7 km away
- Bombers 1.3 km away
- Lyall Bay 2.3 km away
- Airport Rights 2.4 km away
- 156.0 2.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Houghton Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (191°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (11°). 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 steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 19). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in June, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in February, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March, April and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Wellington. Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 15°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$1,650–US$3,150 each
about US$1,650–US$3,150 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 WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$844–US$1,750 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$33–US$54 |
| 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$1,650–US$3,150 |
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 20 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Wellington its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Lower Hutt on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Porirua on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 5 places to stay
Nearest beds: Wellington, 11 km (about 20 min 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 29h 15m
About 29h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → WLG on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.