Whangapoua
Surf spot · New Zealand
Is it worth the trip?
45Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 2 ft swell at 5 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- NNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- WNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 32kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 335, poor
- Wed 433, poor
- Thu 548, fair
- Fri 637, poor
- Sat 722, poor
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 948, fair
- Tue 1013, poor
- Wed 1117, poor
- Thu 1249, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Feb2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 35, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 33, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 37, poor | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 22, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 32kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 13, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 17, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 49, fair | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 20°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 01:47 +0.8 mLow 08:01 −0.9 mHigh 14:23 +0.9 mLow 20:43 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:53 +0.8 mLow 09:05 −0.9 mHigh 15:26 +0.9 mLow 21:46 −0.8 m
- Thu 5 NovHigh 03:58 +0.7 mLow 10:09 −0.8 mHigh 16:27 +0.8 mLow 22:47 −0.9 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 Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 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
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
Whangapoua 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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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Whangapoua
More surf near here
2 places
- Waikawau Bay 15.5 km away
- Port Jackson 35.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Whangapoua
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (56°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (236°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 49). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 beginners the best month is usually February, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Port Jackson. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports 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: Port Jackson
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
1h 50m by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Port Jackson its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Port Jackson, 33 km (1h 50m 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 30m
About 26h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 1h 45m 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.
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.