Wainak bar
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
31Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 3 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Fri 6 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sun 8 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 54kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 225, too small
- Tue 39, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 526, too small
- Fri 650, fair
- Sat 722, too small
- Sun 827, too small
- Mon 938, too small
- Tue 1027, too small
- Wed 115, too small
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 25, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 50, fair | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 4 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 38, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 13°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 16 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
- 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
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:43 −0.9 mHigh 12:02 +0.8 mLow 18:16 −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 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
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.