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Rocky Pt, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Ōpunake

Watch this spot We email you when Rocky Pt is worth the trip.

About Rocky Pt

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

The spot faces NW (305°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (125°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 50). 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 20°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ōpunake. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 15°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 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

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

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Rocky Pt.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Ōpunake, 28 km (about 50 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Rocky Pt: 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 Ōpunake, 28 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 Ōpunake · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Ōpunake · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Rocky Pt on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Rocky Pt 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct414 ft9 ssoft247kJ16°C
Mon 19Oct354 ft6 smushy140kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct484 ft9 ssoft224kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct245 ft6 smushy153kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct66 ft7 smushy262kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct453 ft15 scrumbling399kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct365 ft13 smushy765kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct464 ft11 ssoft291kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct275 ft12 smushy572kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct06 ft7 smushy369kJ16°C
Wed 28Oct06 ft9 smushy526kJ15°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 NPL, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h by road. About 29h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Rocky Pt

    Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 12 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Rocky Pt

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 3 ft at 15 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Rocky Pt

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 13 s, wind 8 kn (16 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to NPL, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h by road. About 29h 20 door to door

The trip from Ōpunake, with every spot near it

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.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to NPL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£745–£1,550
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£65–£110
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£1,400–£2,695

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

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Ōpunake, 28 km (about 50 min 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.