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St Clair, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Dunedin

Watch this spot We email you when St Clair is worth the trip.

St Clair Beach, Dunedin Otago New Zealand
St Clair. Photo: Mr Bungle, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

About St Clair

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

The spot faces SE (156°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (336°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 87). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in August, 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, April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Dunedin, 3.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 dive site.

Water about 11°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 30 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → DUD · Skyscanner from about £780 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 45 min from the airport to St Clair.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in DunedinAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay 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 Dunedin · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Dunedin · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

St Clair on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

St Clair 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 18Oct146 ft8 smushy363kJ17°C
Mon 19Oct334 ft9 ssoft321kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct266 ft9 ssoft419kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct524 ft7 smushy141kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct394 ft6 smushy126kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct535 ft9 ssoft304kJ23°C
Sat 24Oct564 ft8 ssoft184kJ19°C
Sun 25Oct543 ft11 ssoft216kJ22°C
Mon 26Oct223 ft5 smushy28kJ11°C
Tue 27Oct184 ft7 smushy179kJ21°C
Wed 28Oct413 ft7 smushy60kJ13°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 DUD, changing at DFW and AKL, then 45 min by road. About 30h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Tomahawk Beach

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Tomahawk Beach

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Blackhead

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf St Kilda Beach

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

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf St Kilda Beach

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to DUD, changing at DFW and AKL, then 45 min by road. About 30h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Dunedin each day: Blackhead, Smailis Beach, St Clair, St Kilda Beach, Tomahawk Beach.

The trip from Dunedin, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,410–£2,715 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 DUD, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£780–£1,615
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£40–£65
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£1,410–£2,715

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

Places to stay · 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.