The Pa
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
11Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- NNW 19 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 51kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 17, too small
- Mon 22, too small
- Tue 313, too small
- Wed 413, too small
- Thu 512, too small
- Fri 68, too small
- Sat 711, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 96, too small
- Tue 1022, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–14 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The Pa does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 7, too small | 3 ft10 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 117kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 18 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 19 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, too small | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft10 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft9 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft6 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft4 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft7 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 15 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 02:26 +0.4 mLow 08:03 −0.4 mHigh 14:47 +0.5 mLow 20:43 −0.4 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:28 +0.3 mLow 08:54 −0.3 mHigh 15:56 +0.3 mLow 22:01 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:53 +0.2 mLow 10:23 −0.2 mHigh 17:27 +0.3 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 and its town
The Pa 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
5 places
- Plimmerton Bar 1.7 km away
- Illusions - Plimmerton 2 km away
- Titahi Bay 3.7 km away
- Titahi bay beach 3.7 km away
- Mana island 5.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Pa
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (276°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (96°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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, 3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
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 30 October 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$844–US$1,750 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$60–US$100 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$563 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| 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
5 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Porirua its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Paekākāriki on Booking.com
25 min by car · 1 place to stay
- Beds in Lower Hutt on Booking.com
34 min by car · 3 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 30 October 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 · Skyscanner
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.