Shipwreck Bay
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
15Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (5 ft swell at 10 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 97kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 279kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 408kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 61kJ
- Wind
- N 12 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 61kJ
- Wind
- WSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 431kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 498kJ
- Wind
- N 17 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 27, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 524, too small
- Fri 66, too small
- Sat 715, too small
- Sun 816, too small
- Mon 99, too small
- Tue 1012, too small
- Wed 1137, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 7, too small | 3 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 184kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 97kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 279kJ | offshorewind from the south, 4 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 24, too small | 5 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 408kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 6, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 61kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 61kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 16, too small | 4 ft11 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 431kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 9, too small | 5 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 498kJ | wind from the north, 17 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 12, too small | 5 ft10 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 351kJ | wind from the north-west, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 37, poor | 7 ft8 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 574kJ | wind from the west, 11 knots | 19°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 03:15 +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
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:46 +0.8 mLow 11:55 −0.9 mHigh 18:16 +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
Shipwreck Bay 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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Photos of Shipwreck Bay
More surf near here
1 place
- Peaks 1.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shipwreck Bay
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 beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 950 m out (1 in 97). 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, 3.4 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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 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
about 35 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 · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.