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Boat harbours, New Zealand

Stay in Māhia: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Māhia

Watch this spot We email you when Boat harbours is worth the trip.

HawkesBay03LB
Hawke's Bay, the wider area. Photo: Lesbardd, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Boat harbours

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (81°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (261°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 56). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Māhia, 9.5 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 29 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to GIS, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).

    See flights MDW → GIS · Skyscanner from about £730 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Boat harbours.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MāhiaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Māhia · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Māhia · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Boat harbours on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct484 ft8 ssoft196kJ12°C
Mon 19Oct363 ft6 smushy73kJ16°C
Tue 20Oct273 ft6 smushy60kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct243 ft6 smushy54kJ18°C
Thu 22Oct192 ft9 scrumbling60kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct102 ft6 smushy19kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct212 ft7 smushy46kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct122 ft8 scrumbling36kJ20°C
Mon 26Oct111 ft10 scrumbling23kJ22°C
Tue 27Oct132 ft4 smushy9kJ22°C
Wed 28Oct71 ft4 smushy3kJ21°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to GIS, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h by road. About 29h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Waikokopu bay

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Waikokopu bay

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Rolling Stones

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Rolling Stones

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Waikokopu bay

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to GIS, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h by road. About 29h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Māhia each day: Blacks reef, Boat harbours, Mahanga, Mahia reef, Rolling Stones, Spit, Waikokopu bay.

The trip from Māhia, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,420–£2,725 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to GIS, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£730–£1,520
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£100–£170
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£225–£375
Food7 days eating out£230–£430
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£165
Total£1,420–£2,725

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.