Wainakarua Bay
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
20Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (4 ft swell at 6 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 25kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Tue 3 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- WSW 10 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 58kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sun 8 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 16, too small
- Mon 219, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 49, too small
- Thu 524, too small
- Fri 630, too small
- Sat 716, too small
- Sun 816, too small
- Mon 917, too small
- Tue 1023, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–17 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Jun–Aug1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Wainakarua Bay does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft5 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 24, too small | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 30, too small | 4 ft6 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 10 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 16, too small | 3 ft6 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 14°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft6 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft7 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 23, too small | 4 ft6 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft6 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 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 02:32 −0.8 mHigh 08:56 +0.8 mLow 15:14 −0.8 mHigh 21:25 +0.7 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:37 −0.8 mHigh 10:00 +0.8 mLow 16:17 −0.8 mHigh 22:28 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:41 −0.8 mHigh 11:02 +0.8 mLow 17:17 −0.8 mHigh 23:29 +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 Jun–Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 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
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Wainakarua Bay 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.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Katiki 5.8 km away
- Current bay 6.7 km away
- Car Park Beach 10.1 km away
- Wainak bar 11.7 km away
- Kakanui 18.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Wainakarua Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (72°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (252°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–17 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 9). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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 months are usually June, July and August, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Moeraki, 4 km away (about 10 min by car).
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
4 min by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Hampden its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Hillgrove on Booking.com
5 min by car · 6 places to stay
- Beds in Moeraki on Booking.com
7 min by car · 7 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 30m
About 30h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CHC, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then 4h 35m by road
Flights MDW → CHC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.