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The gap, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Napier

All 11 on Napier's map

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

HawkesBay03LB
Hawke's Bay, the wider area. Photo: Lesbardd, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The gap

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

The spot faces E (88°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (268°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 125). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually June, August and September, with about 2 good days in 7; in January, February and November, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Napier, 7.5 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 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 28 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to NPE, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).

    See flights MDW → NPE · Skyscanner from about £735 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 25 min from the airport to The gap.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in NapierAd

    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 Napier · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Napier · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The gap 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

The gap 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 18Oct364 ft7 smushy110kJ17°C
Mon 19Oct142 ft5 smushy16kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct71 ft4 smushy5kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct81 ft7 smushy9kJ19°C
Thu 22Oct101 ft8 ssoft15kJ22°C
Fri 23Oct51 ft8 smushy8kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct61 ft8 smushy6kJ25°C
Sun 25Oct61 ft8 ssoft7kJ24°C
Mon 26Oct4under 1 ft10 s4kJ26°C
Tue 27Oct51 ft3 smushy2kJ21°C
Wed 28Oct5under 1 ft2 s0kJ20°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 NPE, changing at DFW and AKL, then 25 min by road. About 28h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  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: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to NPE, changing at DFW and AKL, then 25 min by road. About 28h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Napier each day: Awatoto rivermouth, Marine Parade, Napiers break water......, Perfume point - The Reef, The gap, Tutaekuri river mouth, West shore beach.

The trip from Napier, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,340–£2,590 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 NPE, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£735–£1,530
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
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£1,340–£2,590

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

Places to eat near Napier

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.