T Reef, New Zealand

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Orewa, 29 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Auckland International Airport (AKL), 73 km.

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About T Reef

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

The spot faces NE (36°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (216°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 8). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually August, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Orewa, 29 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Auckland International Airport (AKL), 73 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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From Chicago: about 26 h 20 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 35 from the airport to T Reef.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Orewa, 29 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Auckland International Airport (AKL), 73 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in T Reef · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in T Reef · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

T Reef on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

T Reef 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 T Reef, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	9, too small	1 ft5 shollow	4kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 11 knots, offshore	15°C
Mon 19Oct	7, too small	1 ft5 shollow	3kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 11 knots, offshore	17°C
Tue 20Oct	8, too small	1 ft7 shollow	4kJ	wind from the south-west, 6 knots, offshore	17°C
Wed 21Oct	7, too small	1 ft7 s	3kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots, offshore	17°C
Thu 22Oct	10, too small	1 ft9 shollow	7kJ	wind from the south-west, 14 knots, offshore	17°C
Fri 23Oct	6, too small	1 ft8 s	4kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots	17°C
Sat 24Oct	4, too small	1 ft7 s	3kJ	wind from the south, 5 knots, offshore	17°C
Sun 25Oct	4, too small	under 1 ft5 s	1kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots	17°C
Mon 26Oct	2, too small	1 ft6 shollow	3kJ	wind from the north, 10 knots	17°C
Tue 27Oct	24, poor	3 ft5 shollow	47kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 14 knots	21°C
Wed 28Oct	25, too small	2 ft5 shollow	26kJ	wind from the north, 8 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 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 35 by road. About 26h 20 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 1h 35 by road. About 26h 20 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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In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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