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Dave vondavoorts bay, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Papamoa

All 15 on Papamoa's map

Watch this spot We email you when Dave vondavoorts bay is worth the trip.

Whakatane Heads 15 3 2006
Bay of Plenty, the wider area. Photo: Benjamin J Melville at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Dave vondavoorts bay

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

The spot faces NE (29°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (209°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 65). 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 intermediate surfers the best months are usually February and April, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Papamoa, 3.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 27 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → AKL · Skyscanner from about £740 returnAd
  2. Getting there. 3 h from the airport to Dave vondavoorts bay.

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PapamoaAd

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

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

    See all places to stay in Papamoa (ad) 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.

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Dave vondavoorts bay, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct3, too small1 ft9 s5kJwind from the north-west, 4 knots17°C
Mon 19Oct3, too small1 ft10 s6kJwind from the north-east, 0 knots18°C
Tue 20Oct3, too small1 ft9 scrumbling6kJwind from the west-north-west, 3 knots19°C
Wed 21Oct3, too small1 ft9 scrumbling6kJwind from the west, 8 knots21°C
Thu 22Oct3, too small1 ft9 scrumbling7kJwind from the west, 6 knots21°C
Fri 23Oct2, too small1 ft9 s4kJwind from the west, 2 knots21°C
Sat 24Oct1, too smallunder 1 ft7 s1kJwind from the north-west, 5 knots20°C
Sun 25Oct1, too smallunder 1 ft10 s2kJwind from the west, 6 knots20°C
Mon 26Oct2, too small1 ft3 smushy1kJwind from the west, 9 knots21°C
Tue 27Oct6, too small2 ft5 smushy25kJwind from the west-north-west, 9 knots21°C
Wed 28Oct8, too small2 ft5 smushy13kJwind from the west, 8 knots20°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 3h by road. About 27h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: under 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 3h by road. About 27h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Papamoa each day: Dave vondavoorts bay, East End, Out in front, Papamoa, Papamoa Boat Ramp.

The trip from Papamoa, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,430–£2,735 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£740–£1,530
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£1,430–£2,735

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

Places to eat near Papamoa

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

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