Otama
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
29Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 5 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 30kJ
- Wind
- N 10 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 20kJ
- Wind
- NNE 18 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 331, poor
- Wed 434, too small
- Thu 544, poor
- Fri 612, too small
- Sat 725, poor
- Sun 822, too small
- Mon 96, too small
- Tue 1037, poor
- Wed 1137, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Mar1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Otama 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 | 23, too small | 2 ft4 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 31, poor | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, too small | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 44, poor | 4 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft6 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 30kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 25, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 22, too small | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 18 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 37, poor | 4 ft5 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 37, poor | 3 ft5 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 20°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 00:43 +0.8 mLow 06:58 −0.9 mHigh 13:20 +0.9 mLow 19:38 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:45 +0.8 mLow 07:58 −0.9 mHigh 14:21 +0.9 mLow 20:41 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:50 +0.7 mLow 09:02 −0.8 mHigh 15:24 +0.8 mLow 21:44 −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 Mar
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 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
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Otama 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.
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.
More surf near here
5 places
- Hot water Beach 19.9 km away
- Sailors Grave 33 km away
- pauanui 35 km away
- Mania reef 43 km away
- Opotere 46 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Otama
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (339°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (159°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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 March, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tairua. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
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$1,740–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: Tairua
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 1h by car · 16 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Tairua its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Tairua, 34 km (about 1h by car)
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 40m
About 26h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 1h 55m 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.