Spirits bay, New Zealand

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Kerikeri, is 136 km away. Nearest airport: KAT (KAT), 82 km.

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About Spirits bay

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

The spot faces N (347°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (167°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–17 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 65). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 16°C in July, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 21°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and February, 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 136 km away. Nearest airport: KAT (KAT), 82 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 10 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 45 from the airport to Spirits bay.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Kerikeri, is 136 km away. Nearest airport: KAT (KAT), 82 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Spirits bay · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Spirits bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Spirits bay on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Spirits bay 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 Spirits bay, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	37, fair	4 ft9 ssoft	200kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 15 knots, offshore	17°C
Mon 19Oct	29, too small	3 ft8 ssoft	150kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots, offshore	17°C
Tue 20Oct	38, fair	4 ft9 ssoft	209kJ	wind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore	17°C
Wed 21Oct	34, too small	3 ft10 ssoft	203kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 10 knots, offshore	17°C
Thu 22Oct	30, too small	3 ft10 ssoft	179kJ	wind from the south, 6 knots, offshore	16°C
Fri 23Oct	19, too small	2 ft10 ssoft	84kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 6 knots, offshore	17°C
Sat 24Oct	31, too small	4 ft12 ssoft	406kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots	16°C
Sun 25Oct	26, too small	4 ft12 ssoft	336kJ	wind from the north-east, 5 knots	17°C
Mon 26Oct	23, too small	4 ft12 smushy	396kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots	17°C
Tue 27Oct	7, too small	3 ft7 smushy	81kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 13 knots	17°C
Wed 28Oct	15, too small	4 ft7 smushy	131kJ	wind from the north-west, 12 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 KAT, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 45 by road. About 30h 10 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Spirits bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Spirits bay
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Spirits bay
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to KAT, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 45 by road. About 30h 10 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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