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Manakau Bar, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Piha

Watch this spot We email you when Manakau Bar is worth the trip.

Paratutae Island and Whatipu beach from Ōmanawanui Trail
Wonga Wonga Bay, 1 km away. Photo: Gadfium, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

About Manakau Bar

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

The spot faces S (199°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (19°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 32). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 month is usually February, with about 3 good days in 7; in September and October, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Piha.

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

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 25 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. MDW to AKL, changing at DFW.

    See flights MDW → AKL · Skyscanner from about £740 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 45 min from the airport to Manakau Bar.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Piha, 11 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Manakau Bar: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    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 Piha, 11 km away 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 Piha · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Piha · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Manakau Bar on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct334 ft8 smushy215kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct344 ft8 smushy211kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct444 ft10 smushy259kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct324 ft8 smushy181kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct224 ft9 smushy195kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct425 ft6 smushy128kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct485 ft13 scrumbling783kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct575 ft13 scrumbling865kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct544 ft12 scrumbling458kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct113 ft12 shollow205kJ17°C
Wed 28Oct525 ft9 scrumbling400kJ16°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 AKL, changing at DFW, then 45 min by road. About 25h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Manakau Bar

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Manakau Bar

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 30 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Manakau Bar

    Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Manakau Bar

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 13 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 45 min by road. About 25h 35 door to door

The trip from Piha, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,375–£2,640 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 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
Taxiairport and back, shared£45–£75
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£1,375–£2,640

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

Nearest beds: Piha, 11 km (about 20 min by car) · 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.