Gore Bay, New Zealand

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Amberley, is 57 km away. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 94 km.

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About Gore Bay

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

The spot faces E (100°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (280°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.9 km out (1 in 185). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, August and September, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Amberley, is 57 km away. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 94 km.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 27 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to CHC, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
See flights MDW → CHC · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 55 from the airport to Gore Bay.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Amberley, is 57 km away. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 94 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Gore Bay · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Gore Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Gore Bay on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Gore Bay, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	29, poor	6 ft9 smushy	424kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots	12°C
Mon 19Oct	51, good	4 ft9 ssoft	255kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots, offshore	13°C
Tue 20Oct	41, fair	4 ft9 ssoft	244kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots	13°C
Wed 21Oct	42, fair	4 ft8 ssoft	160kJ	wind from the south-west, 4 knots	14°C
Thu 22Oct	33, too small	2 ft8 ssoft	77kJ	wind from the north-west, 10 knots, offshore	18°C
Fri 23Oct	23, poor	3 ft10 smushy	200kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots	16°C
Sat 24Oct	40, fair	3 ft9 ssoft	183kJ	wind from the west, 9 knots, offshore	17°C
Sun 25Oct	16, too small	2 ft8 ssoft	35kJ	wind from the south-west, 3 knots	17°C
Mon 26Oct	19, too small	2 ft6 smushy	24kJ	wind from the north, 9 knots	19°C
Tue 27Oct	36, fair	5 ft6 smushy	169kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 14 knots, offshore	17°C
Wed 28Oct	16, too small	2 ft7 smushy	32kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots	11°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

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 55 by road. About 27h 50 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Gore Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 2 kn (5 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Gore Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Gore Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 2 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Gore Bay
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 8 kn (16 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Gore Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 55 by road. About 27h 50 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,230–£2,415 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return MDW to CHC, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£765–£1,585
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£100–£170
Food	7 days eating out	£230–£430
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£100–£165
Total		£1,230–£2,415

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

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