Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 7 s, onshore wind, 14 kn (26 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 134kJ
- Wind
- NNW 14 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NNE 11 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- NW 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 55kJ
- Wind
- NNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 95kJ
- Wind
- WNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 58kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 214, too small
- Tue 353, fair
- Wed 419, too small
- Thu 519, too small
- Fri 625, poor
- Sat 721, too small
- Sun 821, poor
- Mon 922, too small
- Tue 1061, good
- Wed 1121, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Apr–Jun2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Fences 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 | 14, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the north-west, 19 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 53, fair | 4 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 134kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 14 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 25, poor | 3 ft5 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | wind from the north-west, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft6 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 21, poor | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 95kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 15 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 61, good | 4 ft8 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 21 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 21, poor | 4 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 208kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 20 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 27, poor | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 16 knots | 15°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 NovHigh 03:58 +0.7 mLow 10:11 −0.7 mHigh 16:34 +0.8 mLow 23:07 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:22 +0.6 mLow 11:42 −0.6 mHigh 17:58 +0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:37 −0.7 mHigh 06:46 +0.6 mLow 13:06 −0.7 mHigh 19:14 +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 Apr–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
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 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
Fences 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
1 place
- Frasers 23.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Fences
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (200°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (20°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 84). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pātea.
Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. 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$1,680–US$3,190 each
about US$1,680–US$3,190 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 WAG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$839–US$1,740 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$67–US$107 |
| 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$1,680–US$3,190 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Pātea
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 45 min by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Pātea its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Pātea, 24 km (about 45 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 20m
About 29h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WAG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → WAG 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.