Is it worth the trip?
39Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 3 ft swell at 10 s
Wed 4 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 104kJ
- Wind
- SSE 1 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 136kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 95kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 smushy
- Energy
- 260kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Mon 9 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 221kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tue 10 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 385kJ
- Wind
- N 14 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 346, fair
- Wed 432, too small
- Thu 542, too small
- Fri 620, poor
- Sat 738, poor
- Sun 844, poor
- Mon 957, fair
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 114, poor
- Thu 1220, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Feb, Apr–Jun2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 46, fair | 3 ft8 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 104kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 104kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 1 knot, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, too small | 3 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 136kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 20, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 38, poor | 4 ft5 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 95kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 44, poor | 3 ft12 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 260kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 221kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft7 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 385kJ | wind from the north, 14 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 4, poor | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 115kJ | wind from the north-west, 20 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 20, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 115kJ | wind from the west, 17 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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:04 +0.9 mLow 11:15 −1.0 mHigh 17:38 +1.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:00 −1.1 mHigh 06:20 +1.0 mLow 12:25 −1.1 mHigh 18:48 +1.1 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 01:04 −1.2 mHigh 07:25 +1.1 mLow 13:27 −1.2 mHigh 19:47 +1.2 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–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
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 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 Wed 4 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 and its town
Mokau 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.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mokau
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (285°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (105°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 161). 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 February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Waikawau, 26 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Taumarunui, 59 km. Nearest airport: New Plymouth Airport (NPL), 51 km.
Water about 17°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$2,740 each
about US$1,400–US$2,740 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 AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$832–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$2,740 |
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 59 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
Waikawau, 26 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Taumarunui, 59 km. Nearest airport: New Plymouth Airport (NPL), 51 km.
See places to stay near Taumarunui, 59 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 28h 20m
About 28h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 3h 35m by road
Flights MDW → AKL on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.