Paekakariki
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
21Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: too small (2 ft swell at 6 s)
Mon 2 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NW 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 13, too small
- Mon 26, too small
- Tue 330, too small
- Wed 415, too small
- Thu 510, too small
- Fri 618, poor
- Sat 735, too small
- Sun 812, too small
- Mon 917, too small
- Tue 1026, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the north-west, 14 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 30, too small | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 15, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 18, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 12, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 26, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 81kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 46, fair | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 14°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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 02:26 +0.4 mLow 08:03 −0.4 mHigh 14:47 +0.5 mLow 20:43 −0.4 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:28 +0.3 mLow 08:54 −0.3 mHigh 15:56 +0.3 mLow 22:01 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:53 +0.2 mLow 10:23 −0.2 mHigh 17:27 +0.3 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Paekakariki 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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Photos of Paekakariki
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More surf near here
5 places
- Ring rolls 1.3 km away
- Scouts den 3.3 km away
- Pukerua Bay 6.5 km away
- The Pa 13.1 km away
- Illusions - Plimmerton 13.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Paekakariki
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (293°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (113°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.2 km out (1 in 123). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Paekākāriki, 1.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,760–US$3,320 each
about US$1,760–US$3,320 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 WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$844–US$1,750 |
| 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$1,760–US$3,320 |
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
3 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Paekākāriki its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Paraparaumu on Booking.com
17 min by car · 11 places to stay
- Beds in Waikanae on Booking.com
26 min by car · 5 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 40m
About 29h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 1h by road
Flights MDW → WLG on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.