Is it worth the trip?
9Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: too small (4 ft swell at 7 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- NNE 21 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- N 23 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 158kJ
- Wind
- N 22 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 144kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- N 15 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 38, too small
- Wed 43, too small
- Thu 51, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 102, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 5–18 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Tuapeka Point 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 | 8, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 17 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft6 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 21 knots | 13°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | wind from the north, 23 knots | 14°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 4 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | wind from the north, 22 knots | 14°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 4 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 144kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the north, 15 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | wind from the north, 25 knots | 14°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 05:47 −0.7 mHigh 12:09 +0.7 mLow 18:28 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:27 +0.5 mLow 06:43 −0.6 mHigh 13:05 +0.6 mLow 19:25 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:27 +0.5 mLow 07:41 −0.6 mHigh 14:01 +0.6 mLow 20:24 −0.6 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
Tuapeka Point 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.
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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tuapeka Point
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (48°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (228°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–18 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 28). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Henga Lodge, 15 km. Nearest beds: Castlepoint, 677 km. Nearest airport: Inia William Tuuta Memorial Airport (CHT), 10 km.
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$1,270–US$2,520 each
about US$1,270–US$2,520 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 CHT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$817–US$1,690 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$40 |
| 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$1,270–US$2,520 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 677 km away
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Henga Lodge, 15 km. Nearest beds: Castlepoint, 677 km. Nearest airport: Inia William Tuuta Memorial Airport (CHT), 10 km.
See places to stay near Castlepoint, 677 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 29h 55m
About 29h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CHT, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → CHT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.