Is it worth the trip?
18Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 3 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 s
- Energy
- 162kJ
- Wind
- ESE 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 72kJ
- Wind
- N 14 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- NNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 29, too small
- Tue 330, poor
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 615, poor
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 30, poor | 3 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 5 ft6 s5 ft at break (est.) | 162kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 15, poor | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | wind from the north, 14 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 3 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the north, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the north, 16 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 13 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 00:40 +0.8 mLow 06:54 −0.9 mHigh 13:16 +0.9 mLow 19:34 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:41 +0.7 mLow 07:54 −0.8 mHigh 14:17 +0.8 mLow 20:36 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:46 +0.7 mLow 08:57 −0.8 mHigh 15:19 +0.8 mLow 21:39 −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
Mania reef 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
- Opotere 6.2 km away
- pauanui 8.8 km away
- Sailors Grave 10.6 km away
- Onemana 11 km away
- Whangamata Estuary 16.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mania reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (102°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (282°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea is about 15°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Pauanui, 6.5 km away (about 15 min by car).
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 15 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Pauanui its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Tairua on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 16 places to stay
- Beds in Whangamatā on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 2 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 26h 50m
About 26h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 2h 05m by road
Flights MDW → AKL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.