Plimmerton Bar
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: too small (2 ft swell at 5 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 25kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 21, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 47, too small
- Thu 56, too small
- Fri 65, too small
- Sat 710, too small
- Sun 82, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 1010, too small
- Wed 1113, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–15 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 16 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the north, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft1 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 5, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 13, too small | 6 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 298kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 14 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 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
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:41 −0.3 mHigh 06:30 +0.2 mLow 13:15 −0.2 mHigh 18:59 +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 and its town
Plimmerton Bar on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Illusions - Plimmerton 0.3 km away
- The Pa 1.7 km away
- Titahi Bay 2.9 km away
- Titahi bay beach 2.9 km away
- Mana island 6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Plimmerton Bar
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (278°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (98°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–15 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.0 km out (1 in 102). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Porirua, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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$1,680–US$3,200 each
about US$1,680–US$3,200 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 WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$844–US$1,750 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$60–US$100 |
| 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$1,680–US$3,200 |
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
about 5 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Porirua its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Lower Hutt on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Wellington on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 2 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 30m
About 29h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → WLG on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.