Best Surf Spots in the Pacific

Raglan is New Zealand's most celebrated surf destination, a series of volcanic point breaks that peel along black sand beaches on the North Island's rugged west coast. The main...

Piha is New Zealand's most iconic surf beach—a dramatic sweep of black iron sand framed by the distinctive Lion Rock formation on Auckland's wild west coast. The beach produces...

Raglan - Manu Bay is surfing's ultimate left-hand point—a wave so long that rides can connect for over two kilometers from Indicators through Whale Bay and into Manu Bay on the...

Shipwreck Bay is New Zealand's remote reward—a long left point break at the end of Ninety Mile Beach in the far north that can produce rides lasting three minutes or more. The...

Stent Road is Taranaki's crown jewel—a world-class right-hand point break that ranks among New Zealand's finest waves. The setup delivers everything: a hollow drop-in, a barrel...

Mount Maunganui is the Bay of Plenty's consistent cornerstone—an east-facing beach break that enjoys a natural advantage over New Zealand's west coast spots: prevailing offshore...

Whangamata Bar is New Zealand's most celebrated beach break left—a river mouth wave on the Coromandel Peninsula that transforms into a world-class barrel machine when cyclone...

Wainui Beach is Gisborne's answer to Hossegor—a powerful, hollow beach break that produces some of New Zealand's best barrels when conditions align. The beach faces east,...

St Clair is cold water surfing at its most rewarding—Dunedin's main beach break exposed to the roaring forties, where consistent southern swells meet dedicated locals in 5mm...

Mangamaunu is Kaikoura's most consistent reward—a fun right-hander that benefits from a deepwater trench funneling swell directly into its boulder bottom setup. Set against the...

Taylors Mistake is Christchurch's premier surf beach—a sheltered bay on the Banks Peninsula that produces quality left and right peaks when the banks align and offshore winds...

Back Beach is New Plymouth's punchy daily driver—a powerful beach break with shifting sandbars that produces surprising force for its size. The volcanic black sand creates steep,...

Fitzroy Beach is New Plymouth's barrel factory—a popular beach break near the city's East End that produces excellent hollow waves when offshore winds align with the right banks....

Muriwai Beach is Auckland's most accessible consistent wave—an exposed west coast beach break that receives equal doses of wind swell and groundswell year-round. The surf schools...

Opoutama is Mahia Peninsula's mellow gem—a beginner-friendly beach break that produces soft, fat waves perfect for learners and longboarders seeking an uncrowded alternative to...

Ocean Beach Hawkes Bay is the East Coast's shape-shifting canvas—a long stretch of beach and reef breaks where the constantly moving sandbars ensure no two sessions are ever quite...

Cloudbreak XXL (aka "Thundercloud") is big-wave surfing's most terrifying playing field—the outer reef at Fiji's famous Cloudbreak that activates during massive Southern Ocean...

Cloudbreak is a world-renowned left-hander that breaks over a pristine coral reef in the open ocean off Fiji's Tavarua Island. The wave can handle virtually any size—from fun...

Restaurants is Fiji's hidden gem—a perfect left-hand tube that serves as the go-to alternative when Cloudbreak gets too intense. Named after the resort restaurant overlooking it,...

Namotu Lefts is one of Fiji's most consistent high-performance waves—a hollow left-hander that breaks right in front of the Namotu Island Resort. The wave produces powerful,...

Frigates is Fiji's Coral Coast answer to Cloudbreak—a heavy left-hand barrel that breaks over a mushroom-shaped reef in the remote Kadavu Passage. The wave is powerful and hollow,...

Tavarua Rights is the overlooked sibling to Cloudbreak—a 200-meter right-hand barrel that peels along the coral reef on the opposite side of Fiji's most famous wave. While...

Wilkes Pass is Fiji's premier right-hander—a long, fast barrel that offers an alternative to the famous lefts around Tavarua. The wave breaks over a shallow reef pass and produces...

Teahupo'o is surfing's most feared and respected wave—a mutant left-hand slab that detonates over an impossibly shallow reef on Tahiti's southern coast. When S-SW swells push...

Teahupo'o CODE RED is the ultimate expression of the wave's power—a condition declared only twice in history (2011 and 2022) when enormous swells transform the already-heavy slab...

Teahupo'o at regular size (6-12 feet) is surfing's ultimate barrel—the wave that sets the standard for hollow perfection. The horseshoe-shaped tube that forms over the living...

Taapuna is one of Tahiti's premier reef passes—a powerful left-hander that delivers world-class barrels when South Pacific groundswells march through. The wave breaks over a...

Papara provides a refreshing contrast to Tahiti's heavy reef breaks—a beginner-friendly beach break on the island's south coast where black volcanic sand meets warm Pacific...

P-Pass (Palikir Pass) is perhaps the cleanest wave in the Pacific—a flawless right-hand barrel that breaks over pristine coral in Pohnpei, Micronesia. Getting here requires...

Salani is Samoa's most accessible world-class wave—a reef setup that offers both right and left barrels in front of the friendly Salani Surf Resort on Upolu's south coast. The...