.jpg){kind=link}
Northwest Rock
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 3 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 19kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- E 11 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- N 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Mon 9 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 24, too small
- Tue 325, too small
- Wed 431, too small
- Thu 541, poor
- Fri 618, too small
- Sat 729, poor
- Sun 821, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 1025, poor
- Wed 1126, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 31, too small | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 41, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 18, too small | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 29, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft6 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the north-east, 14 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 25, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 26, too small | 3 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 21, too small | 1 ft6 s2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 17°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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 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
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 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
Northwest Rock 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 Northwest Rock
Live webcam
press to load it
Live webcam
Port of Tauranga - Berth 1 and 2, 2 km away
Port of Tauranga - Berths 1-5, 3 km away
Webcams belong to their owners.
More surf near here
5 places
- Banks Ave 1.4 km away
- Mt Maunganui 1.6 km away
- Mount main beach 1.8 km away
- Blowhole 1.9 km away
- Mt Reef (Artificial) 2.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Northwest Rock
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (0°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (180°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 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). The town to stay in is Mount Maunganui, 5.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 8 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot 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: 2 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 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 Waihi Beach on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 8 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 · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.