North Shore, New Zealand

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Lyttelton, 12 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 16 km.

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About North Shore

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

The spot faces E (71°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (251°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 950 m out (1 in 93). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7; in November, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Lyttelton, 12 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 16 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

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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From Chicago: about 26 h 30 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. 35 min from the airport to North Shore.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Lyttelton, 12 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 16 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in North Shore · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in North Shore · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

North Shore on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

North Shore does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at North Shore, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	6, too small	1 ft6 smushy	7kJ	wind from the north-east, 6 knots	14°C
Mon 19Oct	6, too small	1 ft3 smushy	1kJ	wind from the south-west, 7 knots, offshore	16°C
Tue 20Oct	4, too small	1 ft3 smushy	1kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots	15°C
Wed 21Oct	5, too small	1 ft4 smushy	2kJ	wind from the west, 2 knots, offshore	18°C
Thu 22Oct	8, too small	1 ft3 smushy	1kJ	wind from the west, 8 knots, offshore	23°C
Fri 23Oct	6, too small	1 ft3 smushy	3kJ	wind from the east, 8 knots	17°C
Sat 24Oct	10, too small	1 ft4 smushy	3kJ	wind from the west, 7 knots, offshore	25°C
Sun 25Oct	11, too small	1 ft5 smushy	6kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot	22°C
Mon 26Oct	10, too small	2 ft6 smushy	15kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots	22°C
Tue 27Oct	48, good	4 ft6 smushy	81kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 14 knots, offshore	25°C
Wed 28Oct	11, too small	1 ft4 smushy	5kJ	wind from the north-west, 12 knots	17°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 35 min by road. About 26h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 35 min by road. About 26h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,155–£2,290 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
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£25–£45
Food	7 days eating out	£230–£430
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£100–£165
Total		£1,155–£2,290

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

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