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Level 5/10

St Clair

Dunedin, New Zealand
🪨Rocks🌀Strong rips

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 wetsuits and booties. The wave offers both beach break peaks and a right-hand rock point section, providing variety for all conditions. What St Clair lacks in tropical warmth it compensates with wild beauty: the dramatic Otago coastline, the Southern Alps as a distant backdrop, and a surf community forged in conditions that would send fair-weather surfers running. This is New Zealand's deep south, where the waves are cold but the stoke runs hot.

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
S (180°)
Direction range
150° - 220°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
N (0°)
Offshore range
320° - 40°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.6m

Water temp

12°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: 23km from Dunedin Airport. Right in Dunedin city.

Getting There

Airport
DUD
Drive time
20 min

Best Season

Peak: Mar-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb

Consistent S swells. Medium-high consistency year-round.

Data Quality

verified

Verified by Surf Forecast NZ