Is it worth the trip?
43Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 10 s
Tue 3 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 54kJ
- Wind
- NW 14 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 257kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 181kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- NNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 45kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- NW 11 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 232, too small
- Tue 324, too small
- Wed 475, good
- Thu 568, good
- Fri 627, too small
- Sat 722, too small
- Sun 819, too small
- Mon 926, too small
- Tue 1033, too small
- Wed 1130, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Feb3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
White rock 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 | 32, too small | 2 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 88kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 22 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 14 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 75, good | 4 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 257kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 68, good | 3 ft9 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 181kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 45kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft6 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 11 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 33, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 75kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 13 knots, offshore | 17°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 05:17 −0.7 mHigh 11:36 +0.8 mLow 17:59 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:06 +0.7 mLow 06:15 −0.7 mHigh 12:33 +0.8 mLow 18:55 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:03 +0.7 mLow 07:14 −0.7 mHigh 13:31 +0.8 mLow 19:50 −0.7 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 Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
White rock 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About White rock
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (151°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (331°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 6). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually February, with about 3 good days in 7; in June, July and September, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Waipawa, 23 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Lower Hutt, 53 km. Nearest airport: Wellington International Airport (WLG), 54 km.
Water about 15°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$1,410–US$2,760 each
about US$1,410–US$2,760 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$844–US$1,750 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| 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$1,410–US$2,760 |
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 53 km away
No town nearby
Waipawa, 23 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Lower Hutt, 53 km. Nearest airport: Wellington International Airport (WLG), 54 km.
See places to stay near Lower Hutt, 53 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 29h 55m
About 29h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 1h 15m by road
Flights MDW → WLG on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.