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...

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...

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...

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...

Papenoo sits on Tahiti's north coast where a mountain river meets the sea—a rare spot that catches North Pacific energy during the summer hemisphere winter. This rivermouth setup...

Temae is Moorea's most challenging wave—a fierce right-hander breaking over shallow reef in one of the world's most beautiful settings. When south swells wrap around Tahiti's...

Hauru Point sits on Moorea's northwest corner, catching North Pacific swells during the Southern Hemisphere summer when the island's south-facing breaks go quiet. This consistent...

Boulders is Samoa's crown jewel—a world-class left-hand point break that produces some of the South Pacific's longest and most powerful rides. When solid southeast groundswells...

Coconuts is a picture-perfect mechanical right-hander that epitomizes the Samoan surfing experience—hollow barrels breaking over coral reef with palm-fringed shores and...

Nu'usafe'e Island—also known as Devil's Island—is Samoa's secret weapon for when the trade winds blow out every other spot. This uninhabited paradise island sits offshore,...

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...

Ha'atafu Beach is Tonga's surfing epicenter—a powerful left-hand reef break on Tongatapu's western shore that catches the best of the Tasman Sea's winter groundswells. The wave...

The Peak sits just down the reef from Ha'atafu, offering a dependable right-hander that provides the opposite option when you've had your fill of lefts. Working on similar...

Pikinini is Papua New Guinea's most fearsome wave—a fast, heavy barreling right that explodes over extremely shallow reef near Kavieng. When northwest swells arrive from the North...

Nusa Left—also known as Karanas—is Kavieng's premier left-hand wave, a fast barreling tube that jacks out of deep water and immediately pitches over shallow reef. The wave offers...