Tarawera
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
13Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 6 s
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 85kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 148kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft14 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 123kJ
- Wind
- NW 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 126kJ
- Wind
- NW 10 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 23, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 419, too small
- Thu 517, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 714, too small
- Sun 815, too small
- Mon 94, too small
- Tue 1019, too small
- Wed 1115, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 19, too small | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 85kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 17, too small | 5 ft6 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 148kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft14 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 14, too small | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 123kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 15, too small | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 126kJ | wind from the north-west, 10 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 4, too small | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, too small | 5 ft6 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 147kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 15, too small | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 122kJ | wind from the north-west, 10 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 00:36 +0.8 mLow 06:50 −0.9 mHigh 13:13 +0.9 mLow 19:30 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:37 +0.7 mLow 07:50 −0.8 mHigh 14:13 +0.8 mLow 20:33 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:41 +0.7 mLow 08:53 −0.8 mHigh 15:14 +0.8 mLow 21:35 −0.8 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
No month stands out
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
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 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
Tarawera 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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Live webcam
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Live webcam
In Whakatāne, the nearest town, 20 km away
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More surf near here
4 places
- Coastlands Beach 17.8 km away
- Otarawairere bay 21.3 km away
- Ohope Beach West End 22 km away
- Ohope beach 23 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tarawera
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (18°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (198°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 53). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Whakatāne.
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$1,630–US$3,100 each
about US$1,630–US$3,100 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 WHK, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$824–US$1,710 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$47 |
| 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$1,630–US$3,100 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 35 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Whakatāne its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Ōhope on Booking.com
about 50 min by car · 2 places to stay
- Beds in Maketu on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 4 places to stay
Nearest beds: Whakatāne, 20 km (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 28h 50m
About 28h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WHK, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → WHK on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.