Illusions - Plimmerton
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
7Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: too small (2 ft swell at 6 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 36kJ
- Wind
- NW 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 70kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 9kJ
- Wind
- N 11 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 11kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 35, too small
- Wed 47, too small
- Thu 56, too small
- Fri 66, too small
- Sat 711, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 95, too small
- Tue 105, too small
- Wed 114, too small
- Thu 1223, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 5, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 36kJ | wind from the north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 6, too small | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 4, too small | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 16 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 23, too small | 5 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 163kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 18°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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:53 +0.2 mLow 10:23 −0.2 mHigh 17:27 +0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:41 −0.3 mHigh 06:30 +0.2 mLow 13:15 −0.2 mHigh 18:59 +0.3 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 02:11 −0.3 mHigh 07:49 +0.3 mLow 14:29 −0.3 mHigh 20:08 +0.4 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Illusions - Plimmerton 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 Illusions - Plimmerton
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More surf near here
5 places
- Plimmerton Bar 0.3 km away
- The Pa 2 km away
- Titahi Bay 2.9 km away
- Titahi bay beach 2.9 km away
- Mana island 6.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Illusions - Plimmerton
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (280°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (100°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 132). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Porirua, 1.5 km away (18 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 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$1,680–US$3,200 each
about US$1,680–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 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$60–US$101 |
| 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$3,200 |
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
17 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Paekākāriki its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Porirua on Booking.com
18 min by car · 5 places to stay
- Beds in Paraparaumu on Booking.com
28 min by car · 11 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 29h 30m
About 29h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 50 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.
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.