Ocean beach
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
33Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 5 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 104kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 148kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 31kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 19kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 239, too small
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 422, too small
- Thu 533, too small
- Fri 628, too small
- Sat 745, fair
- Sun 839, too small
- Mon 924, too small
- Tue 1023, poor
- Wed 1133, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Aug2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Ocean beach 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 | 39, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft3 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft11 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 104kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 33, too small | 3 ft10 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 148kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 28, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 45, fair | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 39, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 23, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 33, poor | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the north, 14 knots | 22°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 05:49 −0.8 mHigh 12:07 +0.8 mLow 18:28 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:37 +0.7 mLow 06:47 −0.8 mHigh 13:05 +0.8 mLow 19:25 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:35 +0.7 mLow 07:46 −0.8 mHigh 14:03 +0.8 mLow 20:23 −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 Aug
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
- 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
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 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 and its town
Ocean beach 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
4 places
- Cray bay 10.8 km away
- Northen, ocean beach 11.8 km away
- Teawanga 13.6 km away
- Mangakuri 26 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ocean beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (108°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (288°). It is sheltered 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 1.2 km out (1 in 116). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in September, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually August, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Waimārama, 6.7 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 16°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$1,740–US$3,290 each
about US$1,740–US$3,290 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 NPE, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$824–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$3,290 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Waimārama its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Te Awanga on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Haumoana on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 6 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 29h 35m
About 29h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → NPE, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → NPE on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.