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Porpoise Bay, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Owaka

Watch this spot We email you when Porpoise Bay is worth the trip.

About Porpoise Bay

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

The spot faces SE (150°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (330°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.5 km out (1 in 149). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 11°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in January, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March, May and June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Owaka.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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 31 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → IVC · Skyscanner from about £785 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 30 from the airport to Porpoise Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Owaka, 44 km (about 1h 20 by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Porpoise Bay: 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 Owaka, 44 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 Owaka · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Owaka · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Porpoise Bay on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct76 ft9 ssoft479kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct265 ft9 ssoft390kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct106 ft9 ssoft454kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct314 ft9 ssoft275kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct283 ft9 ssoft148kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct455 ft9 ssoft297kJ18°C
Sat 24Oct504 ft10 ssoft318kJ18°C
Sun 25Oct514 ft11 ssoft379kJ19°C
Mon 26Oct72 ft10 ssoft78kJ10°C
Tue 27Oct263 ft7 smushy71kJ14°C
Wed 28Oct152 ft7 smushy28kJ10°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 IVC, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 30 by road. About 31h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 21 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Porpoise Bay

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Porpoise Bay

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Porpoise Bay

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Porpoise Bay

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to IVC, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 30 by road. About 31h 05 door to door

The trip from Owaka, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,475–£2,840 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 IVC, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£785–£1,635
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£1,475–£2,840

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: Owaka, 44 km (about 1h 20 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.