Stony Beach
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 3 ft swell at 7 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 20kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 100kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- NE 0 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Mon 9 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 72kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 213, too small
- Tue 323, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 521, too small
- Fri 636, poor
- Sat 737, too small
- Sun 837, too small
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 1043, too small
- Wed 1148, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best May–Aug2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Stony Beach 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 | 13, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | wind from the north-west, 21 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 36, poor | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 100kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 37, too small | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the north-east, 0 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 37, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 43, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the south, 16 knots, offshore | 12°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 NovLow 04:45 −1.0 mHigh 11:06 +1.0 mLow 17:24 −1.0 mHigh 23:35 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:46 −1.0 mHigh 12:05 +1.0 mLow 18:22 −1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:35 +0.9 mLow 06:46 −1.0 mHigh 13:04 +1.0 mLow 19:19 −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.
Best time to go
best May–Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 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
Stony Beach 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.
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More surf near here
3 places
- Raupo Bay 1.7 km away
- Hickory Bay 12.8 km away
- Tumble Down Bay 21.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Stony Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (47°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (227°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 68). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Okains Bay, 5 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 14°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$1,770–US$3,360 each
about US$1,770–US$3,360 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 CHC, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$858–US$1,780 |
| 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$1,770–US$3,360 |
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 10 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Okains Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Akaroa on Booking.com
about 35 min by car
- Beds in Te Oka on Booking.com
about 50 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 27h 05m
About 27h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CHC, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then 1h 10m by road
Flights MDW → CHC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.