Tumble Down Bay, New Zealand
Also within 20 km of Akaroa
- Hickory Bay Surf spot · 12.3 km from Akaroa
Watch this spot We email you when Tumble Down Bay is worth the trip.
About Tumble Down Bay
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 beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 33). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 10°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Akaroa, 2.7 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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 27 h 10 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 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 15 from the airport to Tumble Down Bay.
Accommodation.
Stay in AkaroaAd
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 Akaroa (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Akaroa 5 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · where Tumble Down Bay stays
Places to stay in Akaroa · Booking.com AdLyttelton 60 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · 3 places to stay
Places to stay in Lyttelton · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Akaroa · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Akaroa · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury 
Where it is
Tumble Down Bay on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
Tumble Down Bay does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 52, good | 7 ft9 ssoft | 646kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 44, fair | 6 ft9 scrumbling | 632kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 43, fair | 6 ft10 scrumbling | 659kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 24, too small | 5 ft8 scrumbling | 285kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 16, too small | 4 ft8 scrumbling | 160kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 19, too small | 4 ft8 scrumbling | 208kJ | offshorewind from the east, 2 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 28, too small | 5 ft9 scrumbling | 394kJ | offshorewind from the east, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 20, too small | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 245kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 2, too small | 2 ft9 smushy | 62kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 22, poor | 8 ft7 smushy | 519kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 6, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 105kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 13 knots | 14°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 expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 15 by road. About 27h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Tumble Down Bay
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Tumble Down Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 15 by road. About 27h 10 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,455–£2,790 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| 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 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £225–£375 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £230–£430 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£165 |
| Total | £1,455–£2,790 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.