Pukerua Bay, New Zealand
Also within 20 km of Paekākāriki
- Paekakariki Surf spot · 1.9 km from Paekākāriki
- Ring rolls Surf spot · 2.1 km from Paekākāriki
- Scouts den Surf spot · 3.6 km from Paekākāriki
- The Pa Surf spot · 14.4 km from Paekākāriki
- Illusions - Plimmerton Surf spot · 14.6 km from Paekākāriki
- Titahi Bay Surf spot · 17.5 km from Paekākāriki
- Titahi bay beach Surf spot · 17.5 km from Paekākāriki
Watch this spot We email you when Pukerua Bay is worth the trip.
About Pukerua Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (308°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (128°). 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 750 m out (1 in 75). 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). The town to stay in is Paekākāriki, 8.1 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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 29 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).
See flights MDW → WLG · Skyscanner from about £750 returnAdGetting there. 55 min from the airport to Pukerua Bay.
Accommodation.
Stay in PaekākārikiAd
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 Paekākāriki (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Paekākāriki 14 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · 1 places to stay · where Pukerua Bay stays
Places to stay in Paekākāriki · Booking.com AdLower Hutt 42 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · 3 places to stay
Places to stay in Lower Hutt · Booking.com AdWellington 51 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · 2 places to stay
Places to stay in Wellington · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Paekākāriki · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Paekākāriki · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury _(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
Where it is
Pukerua Bay on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
Pukerua Bay 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 33, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft | 100kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 15, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 42kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 24, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft | 81kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 11, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 32kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 15°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft7 smushy | 16kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 15°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 9, too small | 1 ft7 smushy | 13kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 8, poor | 3 ft5 smushy | 45kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 20 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 6, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 35kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 19 knots | 14°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 1, too small | 1 ft8 smushy | 14kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 19 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 5, poor | 4 ft8 smushy | 204kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 21 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 10, too small | 3 ft8 smushy | 79kJ | wind from the north-west, 18 knots | 14°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 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to WLG, changing at DFW and AKL, then 55 min by road. About 29h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to WLG, changing at DFW and AKL, then 55 min by road. About 29h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Paekākāriki each day: Paekakariki, Pukerua Bay, Ring rolls, Scouts den.
Rough cost
About £1,400–£2,695 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £750–£1,560 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £60–£100 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £225–£375 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £230–£430 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£165 |
| Total | £1,400–£2,695 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.