Blue Tops
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 3 ft swell at 8 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tue 3 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 72kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 143kJ
- Wind
- NNE 11 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Thu 5 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 78kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Fri 6 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sun 8 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 71kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 222, too small
- Tue 325, too small
- Wed 442, poor
- Thu 531, too small
- Fri 624, too small
- Sat 715, too small
- Sun 824, too small
- Mon 917, too small
- Tue 1025, too small
- Wed 1125, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best May–Aug2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 25, too small | 3 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 42, poor | 3 ft8 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 143kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 11 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 31, too small | 3 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 78kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 13°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 24, too small | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 13°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | offshorewind from the west, 6 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 25, poor | 4 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 131kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 16 knots | 12°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 68, good | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 11°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 03:21 −0.8 mHigh 09:45 +0.8 mLow 16:02 −0.8 mHigh 22:13 +0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:26 −0.9 mHigh 10:48 +0.8 mLow 17:03 −0.8 mHigh 23:15 +0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:28 −0.9 mHigh 11:47 +0.8 mLow 18:00 −0.9 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 May–Aug
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
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 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
Blue Tops 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
- Brighton 6.5 km away
- Brighton Beach 6.5 km away
- Secret Spot 9.8 km away
- Blackhead 14.1 km away
- St Clair 19.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Blue Tops
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (130°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (310°). 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 gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 46). 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 15°C in February, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Mosgiel.
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$1,670–US$3,200 each
about US$1,670–US$3,200 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to DUD, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$872–US$1,820 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$564 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$302–US$564 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$221 |
| Total | about US$1,670–US$3,200 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 25 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Mosgiel its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Dunedin on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 34 places to stay
- Beds in Port Chalmers on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 4 places to stay
Nearest beds: Mosgiel, 14 km (about 25 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 29h 55m
About 29h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → DUD, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → DUD on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.