Port Waikato reef, New Zealand

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Hunua, 47 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Auckland International Airport (AKL), 43 km.

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About Port Waikato reef

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

The spot faces W (272°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (92°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.6 km out (1 in 263). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Hunua, 47 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Auckland International Airport (AKL), 43 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

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

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 25 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Auckland International Airport (AKL), changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
See flights MDW → AKL · Skyscanner from about £740 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Port Waikato reef.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Hunua, 47 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Auckland International Airport (AKL), 43 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Port Waikato reef · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Port Waikato reef · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Port Waikato reef 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 Port Waikato reef, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	38, fair	4 ft8 smushy	206kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots	15°C
Mon 19Oct	36, fair	4 ft6 smushy	114kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots	16°C
Tue 20Oct	47, fair	4 ft10 smushy	239kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots	17°C
Wed 21Oct	33, poor	4 ft8 smushy	217kJ	wind from the south-west, 9 knots	16°C
Thu 22Oct	27, poor	4 ft6 smushy	84kJ	wind from the south-west, 10 knots	16°C
Fri 23Oct	45, fair	5 ft6 smushy	117kJ	wind from the south-west, 4 knots	17°C
Sat 24Oct	47, fair	5 ft13 ssoft	738kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots	17°C
Sun 25Oct	48, good	5 ft13 ssoft	824kJ	wind from the west, 4 knots	17°C
Mon 26Oct	42, fair	4 ft12 smushy	413kJ	wind from the north-west, 7 knots	18°C
Tue 27Oct	7, poor	3 ft7 smushy	105kJ	wind from the north-west, 20 knots	19°C
Wed 28Oct	34, poor	5 ft8 smushy	287kJ	wind from the south-west, 8 knots	16°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 AKL, changing at DFW, then 1h 05 by road. About 25h 50 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Port Waikato reef
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Port Waikato reef
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 35 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Port Waikato reef
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Port Waikato reef
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 13 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 1h 05 by road. About 25h 50 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,205–£2,360 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 AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£740–£1,530
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		£1,205–£2,360

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

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