Raupo Bay, New Zealand

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Akaroa, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 45 km.

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About Raupo Bay

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

The spot faces E (74°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (254°). 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 very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 156). 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 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, 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: Akaroa, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 45 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf 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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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 27 h 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. 1 h 05 from the airport to Raupo Bay.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Akaroa, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 45 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Raupo Bay · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Raupo Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Raupo Bay on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Raupo 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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Raupo Bay, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Mon 19Oct	56, good	4 ft9 ssoft	244kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots	17°C
Tue 20Oct	36, fair	3 ft9 ssoft	123kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots	13°C
Wed 21Oct	36, fair	3 ft8 smushy	92kJ	wind from the north, 2 knots	16°C
Thu 22Oct	21, too small	2 ft7 smushy	37kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots	20°C
Fri 23Oct	22, too small	2 ft9 ssoft	66kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots	16°C
Sat 24Oct	33, too small	3 ft8 ssoft	99kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots	21°C
Sun 25Oct	19, too small	2 ft7 smushy	38kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots	20°C
Mon 26Oct	12, too small	2 ft5 smushy	20kJ	wind from the north, 10 knots	20°C
Tue 27Oct	32, poor	3 ft6 smushy	76kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 15 knots, offshore	20°C
Wed 28Oct	10, too small	2 ft6 smushy	16kJ	wind from the north-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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Tue 20 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 05 by road. About 27h door to door
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Raupo Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Raupo Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Mon 26 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 05 by road. About 27h door to door

Rough cost

About £1,230–£2,415 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
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		£1,230–£2,415

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

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