Otama
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
26Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 3 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 40kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 55kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- N 21 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 329, poor
- Wed 428, poor
- Thu 532, poor
- Fri 613, too small
- Sat 730, poor
- Sun 818, too small
- Mon 96, too small
- Tue 1032, poor
- Wed 1122, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Mar1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Otama 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 | 23, too small | 2 ft4 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 29, poor | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 28, poor | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, poor | 3 ft6 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 30, poor | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft6 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the north, 21 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 32, poor | 4 ft6 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 22, too small | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the west, 10 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:43 +0.8 mLow 06:58 −0.9 mHigh 13:20 +0.9 mLow 19:38 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:45 +0.8 mLow 07:58 −0.9 mHigh 14:21 +0.9 mLow 20:41 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:50 +0.7 mLow 09:02 −0.8 mHigh 15:24 +0.8 mLow 21:44 −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 in Mar
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Otama 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Hot water Beach 19.9 km away
- Sailors Grave 33 km away
- pauanui 35 km away
- Mania reef 43 km away
- Opotere 46 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Otama
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (339°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (159°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually March, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tairua. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 17°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$1,740–US$3,300 each
about US$1,740–US$3,300 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$832–US$1,720 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| 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$1,740–US$3,300 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Tairua
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 1h by car · 16 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Tairua its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Tairua, 34 km (about 1h 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 26h 40m
About 26h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 1h 55m by road
Flights MDW → AKL 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.