Cape Reinga, New Zealand

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Kerikeri, is 147 km away. Nearest airport: KAT (KAT), 91 km.

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About Cape Reinga

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

The spot faces N (343°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (163°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 15). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Kerikeri, is 147 km away. Nearest airport: KAT (KAT), 91 km.

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 30 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to KAT, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).
See flights MDW → KAT · Skyscanner from about £735 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 55 from the airport to Cape Reinga.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Kerikeri, is 147 km away. Nearest airport: KAT (KAT), 91 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Cape Reinga · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Cape Reinga · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Cape Reinga on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Cape Reinga 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 Cape Reinga, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Mon 19Oct	55, good	4 ft7 shollow	148kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 11 knots, offshore	15°C
Tue 20Oct	47, fair	5 ft9 shollow	401kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots, offshore	15°C
Wed 21Oct	56, good	4 ft9 shollow	277kJ	wind from the south, 11 knots, offshore	15°C
Thu 22Oct	62, good	4 ft10 shollow	261kJ	wind from the south, 9 knots, offshore	15°C
Fri 23Oct	41, fair	3 ft10 shollow	127kJ	wind from the south, 9 knots, offshore	15°C
Sat 24Oct	58, good	4 ft13 shollow	534kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 6 knots, offshore	16°C
Sun 25Oct	45, fair	3 ft12 shollow	262kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots	17°C
Mon 26Oct	37, fair	5 ft12 shollow	565kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 8 knots	17°C
Tue 27Oct	12, too small	3 ft12 smushy	185kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 14 knots	17°C
Wed 28Oct	26, poor	4 ft8 shollow	162kJ	wind from the north-west, 11 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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Tue 20 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to KAT, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 55 by road. About 30h 15 door to door
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Cape Reinga
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Cape Reinga
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Cape Reinga
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Cape Reinga
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 13 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Surf Cape Reinga
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
Mon 26 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to KAT, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 55 by road. About 30h 15 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,200–£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 KAT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£735–£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		£1,200–£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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