Tomahawk Beach
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
46Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 9 s, 4 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 142kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 208kJ
- Wind
- NNE 14 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Thu 5 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 74kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 32kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sun 8 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 78kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Mon 9 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 355, fair
- Wed 476, good
- Thu 543, too small
- Fri 616, too small
- Sat 720, too small
- Sun 837, too small
- Mon 934, too small
- Tue 1040, too small
- Wed 1113, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 142kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 76, good | 4 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 208kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 43, too small | 2 ft8 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 74kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 16, too small | 1 ft10 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 32kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 14°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 37, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 78kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 40, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 13, poor | 4 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | wind from the south-west, 19 knots | 11°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 03:21 −0.8 mHigh 09:45 +0.8 mLow 16:02 −0.8 mHigh 22:13 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:26 −0.8 mHigh 10:48 +0.8 mLow 17:03 −0.8 mHigh 23:16 +0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:28 −0.9 mHigh 11:47 +0.8 mLow 18:01 −0.9 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
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 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
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 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
Tomahawk Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: 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.
More surf near here
5 places
- St Kilda Beach 1.7 km away
- Smailis Beach 3.5 km away
- St Clair 4 km away
- Sandfly Bay 8.5 km away
- Blackhead 9.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tomahawk Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (165°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (345°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 52). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in January, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Dunedin, 5.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 13°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$1,700–US$3,250 each
about US$1,700–US$3,250 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 DUD, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$871–US$1,820 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$54–US$87 |
| 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$1,700–US$3,250 |
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 10 min by car · 34 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Dunedin its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Port Chalmers on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Mosgiel on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 5 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 30h 10m
About 30h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → DUD, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 45 min by road
Flights MDW → DUD on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.