Wainak bar
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 4 ft swell at 5 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- S 8 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Tue 3 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 79kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 58kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sun 8 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 116, too small
- Mon 229, too small
- Tue 38, too small
- Wed 418, too small
- Thu 532, too small
- Fri 652, fair
- Sat 723, too small
- Sun 821, too small
- Mon 925, too small
- Tue 1046, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Jun2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 52, fair | 4 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 79kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 46, fair | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 11 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 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
- Sun 1 NovLow 02:35 −0.8 mHigh 08:58 +0.8 mLow 15:16 −0.8 mHigh 21:27 +0.7 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:39 −0.8 mHigh 10:02 +0.8 mLow 16:19 −0.8 mHigh 22:30 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:43 −0.8 mHigh 11:04 +0.8 mLow 17:19 −0.8 mHigh 23:31 +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
best in Jun
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
- Jun2of 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
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Wainak bar 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.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Current bay 5.1 km away
- Kakanui 6.5 km away
- Campbell´s bay 6.9 km away
- Wainakarua Bay 11.7 km away
- Katiki 16.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Wainak bar
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (105°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (285°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 141). 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 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hampden.
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$1,770–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
18 min by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Hampden its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Moeraki on Booking.com
22 min by car · 7 places to stay
- Beds in Hillgrove on Booking.com
23 min by car · 6 places to stay
Nearest beds: Hampden, 10 km (about 20 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 30h 25m
About 30h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CHC, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then 4h 30m by road
Flights MDW → CHC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.