Houghton Bay
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
18Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- NNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 198kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 153kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 67kJ
- Wind
- N 21 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sat 7 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- NNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- NNW 20 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 212, too small
- Tue 37, too small
- Wed 429, too small
- Thu 529, too small
- Fri 617, too small
- Sat 79, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 97, too small
- Tue 1015, too small
- Wed 1111, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Feb–Apr, Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 25 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 198kJ | offshorewind from the north, 9 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft9 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 153kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 12 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 67kJ | offshorewind from the north, 21 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft12 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 20 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 57kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | offshorewind from the north, 19 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft13 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 16°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 05:18 −0.6 mHigh 11:26 +0.6 mLow 17:59 −0.6 mHigh 23:52 +0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 06:11 −0.6 mHigh 12:18 +0.6 mLow 18:50 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:43 +0.5 mLow 07:05 −0.6 mHigh 13:11 +0.6 mLow 19:41 −0.5 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 Feb–Apr, Nov
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
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 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
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 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, its town, photos
Houghton Bay on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Houghton Bay
More surf near here
5 places
- The Island (Island Bay) 0.7 km away
- Bombers 1.3 km away
- Lyall Bay 2.3 km away
- Airport Rights 2.4 km away
- 156.0 2.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Houghton Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (191°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (11°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 19). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in June, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in February, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March, April and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Wellington. Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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$1,660–US$3,150 each
about US$1,660–US$3,150 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 WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$845–US$1,750 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$34–US$54 |
| 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$1,660–US$3,150 |
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 20 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Wellington its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Lower Hutt on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Porirua on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 5 places to stay
Nearest beds: Wellington, 11 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 29h 15m
About 29h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → WLG on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
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.