Peaks
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 5 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 317kJ
- Wind
- NNE 15 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tue 3 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 70kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 292kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Thu 5 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 416kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- N 11 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 146kJ
- Wind
- WSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 smushy
- Energy
- 565kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 10, too big
- Mon 213, poor
- Tue 35, too small
- Wed 425, too small
- Thu 546, fair
- Fri 611, too small
- Sat 726, poor
- Sun 833, poor
- Mon 935, poor
- Tue 108, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 4–19 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Peaks does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 0, too big | 11 ft11 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,350kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 13 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 13, poor | 4 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 317kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 15 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 5, too small | 2 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 25, too small | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 292kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 23°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 46, fair | 5 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 416kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 11, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 26, poor | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 146kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 33, poor | 5 ft12 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 565kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 35, poor | 5 ft11 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 492kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 8, poor | 5 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 130kJ | wind from the north-west, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft9 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 544kJ | wind from the north-west, 15 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 02:07 +1.0 mLow 08:25 −1.1 mHigh 14:44 +1.1 mLow 21:07 −1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:15 +0.9 mLow 09:32 −1.0 mHigh 15:54 +1.0 mLow 22:19 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:30 +0.8 mLow 10:44 −0.9 mHigh 17:08 +1.0 mLow 23:32 −1.0 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
Peaks 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.
Photos of Peaks
More surf near here
1 place
- Shipwreck Bay 1.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Peaks
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (330°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (150°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 60). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Ahipara, 4.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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$1,650–US$3,140 each
about US$1,650–US$3,140 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 KAT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$824–US$1,720 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$47–US$74 |
| 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$1,650–US$3,140 |
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
8 min by car · 10 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Ahipara its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Waipapakauri on Booking.com
Waipapakauri
33 min 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 29h 05m
About 29h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → KAT, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → KAT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.