Magnet Bay, New Zealand
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Akaroa, 20 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 42 km.
Watch this spot We email you when Magnet Bay is worth the trip.
About Magnet Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (215°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (35°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March, April and May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Akaroa, 20 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 42 km.
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 27 h 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 05 from the airport to Magnet Bay.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Akaroa, 20 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHC (CHC), 42 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Magnet Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Magnet Bay · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Magnet Bay on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft9 smushy | 583kJ | wind from the south, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 39, fair | 5 ft9 scrumbling | 417kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 14, poor | 6 ft9 scrumbling | 491kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 65, good | 4 ft8 scrumbling | 210kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 51, good | 3 ft8 scrumbling | 136kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 64, good | 4 ft9 scrumbling | 228kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 65, good | 4 ft9 scrumbling | 230kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 59, good | 3 ft10 scrumbling | 206kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 29kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 15 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 12, poor | 5 ft6 smushy | 132kJ | wind from the south, 10 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 29, poor | 3 ft7 smushy | 87kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 16 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 intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 05 by road. About 27h door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Magnet Bay
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Magnet Bay
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Magnet Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Magnet Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Magnet Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to CHC, changing at SFO, then 1h 05 by road. About 27h door to door
Rough cost
About £1,230–£2,415 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.
| 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 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £230–£430 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£165 |
| Total | £1,230–£2,415 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
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