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Otaki River mouth, New Zealand

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

Watch this spot We email you when Otaki River mouth is worth the trip.

Otaki03
Ōtaki, the nearest town, 5 km away. Photo: Prankster, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

About Otaki River mouth

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

The spot faces NW (301°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (121°). 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 950 m out (1 in 93). 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 19°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 1 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ōtaki, 5.3 km away (about 10 min by car).

Water about 14°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 30 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → PMR · Skyscanner from about £745 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 25 from the airport to Otaki River mouth.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in ŌtakiAd

    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 Ōtaki · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Ōtaki · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Otaki River mouth on Google Maps · Directions

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Live webcam

Ōtaki Surf Lifesaving Club, 3 km away

Open the webcam on otakibeach.crowna.co.nz

Webcams belong to their owners.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct202 ft8 ssoft47kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct121 ft7 smushy20kJ16°C
Tue 20Oct141 ft7 smushy20kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct182 ft5 smushy15kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct132 ft4 smushy14kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct172 ft4 smushy8kJ18°C
Sat 24Oct304 ft5 smushy92kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct384 ft5 smushy68kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct82 ft5 smushy19kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct64 ft8 smushy238kJ16°C
Wed 28Oct145 ft7 smushy208kJ14°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 PMR, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 25 by road. About 30h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Otaki River mouth

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 5 s, wind 9 kn (16 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to PMR, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 25 by road. About 30h door to door

The trip from Ōtaki, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,435–£2,750 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 PMR, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£745–£1,545
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£1,435–£2,750

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

Places to eat near Ōtaki

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

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.