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The Pa, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Porirua

Watch this spot We email you when The Pa is worth the trip.

Hongoeka Bay
Hongoeka Bay. Photo: AxonsArachnida, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Pa

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

The spot faces W (276°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (96°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Porirua, 3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 29 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. 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 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to The Pa.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PoriruaAd

    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 Porirua · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Porirua · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Pa on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The Pa 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 18Oct444 ft10 shollow366kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct293 ft10 shollow140kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct303 ft10 shollow141kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct203 ft9 shollow102kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct112 ft9 shollow39kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct122 ft8 shollow28kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct103 ft6 shollow45kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct32 ft7 smushy27kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct11 ft10 smushy17kJ15°C
Tue 27Oct11 ft9 smushy26kJ16°C
Wed 28Oct42 ft8 smushy55kJ15°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 WLG, changing at DFW and AKL, then 50 min by road. About 29h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Mana island

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to WLG, changing at DFW and AKL, then 50 min by road. About 29h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 6 spots near Porirua each day: Illusions - Plimmerton, Mana island, Plimmerton Bar, The Pa, Titahi Bay, Titahi bay beach.

The trip from Porirua, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,390–£2,680 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 WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£750–£1,560
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£50–£85
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£1,390–£2,680

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

Places to eat near Porirua

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

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.