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Mt Maunganui
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
34Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 3 ft swell at 6 s
Tue 3 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 40kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 26, too small
- Tue 327, too small
- Wed 432, too small
- Thu 549, fair
- Fri 627, too small
- Sat 732, too small
- Sun 832, too small
- Mon 923, too small
- Tue 1018, too small
- Wed 1131, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Feb2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Mt Maunganui 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 | 6, too small | 1 ft4 s2 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 49, fair | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 27, too small | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 18, too small | 3 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 31, poor | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 45kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 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 00:38 +0.8 mLow 06:52 −0.9 mHigh 13:15 +0.9 mLow 19:33 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:39 +0.7 mLow 07:52 −0.8 mHigh 14:15 +0.8 mLow 20:35 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:44 +0.7 mLow 08:55 −0.8 mHigh 15:17 +0.8 mLow 21:38 −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.
Best time to go
best in Feb
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
- 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 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
Mt Maunganui 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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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Mt Maunganui
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Live webcam
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Live webcam
Port of Tauranga - Berth 1 and 2, 1 km away
Port of Tauranga - Berths 1-5, 3 km away
Webcams belong to their owners.
More surf near here
5 places
- Blowhole 0.3 km away
- Banks Ave 0.6 km away
- Mount main beach 1 km away
- Rabbit Island 1.2 km away
- Mount Maunganui 1.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mt Maunganui
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (19°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (199°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually February, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Mount Maunganui, 4.5 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots and 1 climbing area.
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
8 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Mount Maunganui its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Papamoa on Booking.com
28 min by car
- Beds in Maketu on Booking.com
50 min by car · 4 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 27h 35m
About 27h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 2h 50m by road
Flights MDW → AKL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.