Point
left
Level 7/10

Albatross Point

Kawhia, New Zealand
🪸Sharp reef👊Localism🚶Difficult access🏝️Remote

Remote left point south of the Kawhia Harbour entrance: big SW swell refracts round Albatross Point into Arohaki Bay and fans out into several lefts over uneven reef, with long, punchy walls (Waikato RC rates it 8 of 10). It needs a large, long-period swell to wrap, so it is inconsistent. S is offshore. It works best on a WSW swell with S winds. Watch for: access is through private land and needs permission; localism is reported; reef.

Albatross Point surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today20
30
Poor
1.5m@9s
8km/h
Wed21
44
Poor
1.3m@15s
14km/h
Thu22
43
Poor
1.2m@14s
15km/h
Fri23
50
Fair
1.6m@8s
7km/h
Sat24
64
Fair
1.5m@16s
9km/h
Sun25
50
Fair
1.5m@15s
15km/h
Mon26
45
Fair
1.5m@16s
17km/h
Tue27
9
Poor
1.7m@12s
25km/h
Wed28
47
Fair
2.1m@11s
4km/h
Thu29
10
Poor
1.4m@13s
19km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 6 km/h · PM 8 km/h
Swell
1.5m
SW(236°)
Score: 5/25
Period
9s
Short period
Score: 2/25
Wind
8km/h
N(359°)
Score: 13/25
Weather
15°C
0.0mm62%
First light 5:59amSunrise 6:29amSunset 7:43pmLast light 8:13pm
Windswell
—
Secondary
0.9m
Confidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
Swell1.5m @9s SW in window
Wind8 km/h N onshore
SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window
Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
10°
14°
17°
17°
16°
9°
14°
16°
16°
15°
12°
15°
16°
16°
15°
13°
15°
17°
17°
16°
10°
14°
16°
16°
15°
14°
15°
16°
16°
15°
13°
14°
16°
17°
16°
16°
16°
17°
17°
16°
13°
14°
16°
17°
15°
16°
17°
17°
17°
17°
3m1.5
sec
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
swell
windkm/h
2g5
9g23
8g23
8g23
8g24
5g11
13g26
17g39
18g41
17g38
4g7
12g25
17g36
20g42
22g47
8g18
4g15
8g23
10g26
8g27
6g12
2g14
10g24
14g32
14g34
12g23
15g31
17g37
15g38
12g34
12g22
14g29
18g41
19g48
19g49
25g44
29g52
32g61
24g66
11g66
2g18
2g19
6g20
7g22
4g25
17g35
21g40
20g39
18g40
17g44
tidem
4:54am2.1m
11:05am0.9m
5:30pm2.3m
6:03am2.2m
12:10pm0.8m
6:30pm2.4m
12:46am0.6m
6:58am2.4m
1:02pm0.6m
7:17pm2.6m
1:32am0.5m
7:45am2.5m
1:49pm0.5m
7:58pm2.7m
2:15am0.3m
8:27am2.7m
2:31pm0.3m
8:40pm2.9m
2:54am0.1m
9:04am2.9m
3:12pm0.1m
9:19pm3.0m
3:35am0.0m
9:44am3.1m
3:54pm0.1m
9:59pm3.2m
4:15am0.0m
10:25am3.3m
4:37pm0.2m
4:58am0.0m
11:05am3.2m
5:22pm0.1m
5:43am0.0m
Night

Tide times today

4:54 am
High · 2.08m
11:05 am
Low · 0.87m
5:30 pm
High · 2.26m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

30
Poor
Components
Swell Direction23/25
Swell Size5/25
Swell Period2/25
Wind13/25
Raw Score43/100
Adjustments
💨 Gusty Wind-3
📉 Undersized Swell-10
🚫 Undersized Capmax 64
Adjusted Score30/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score30

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to HLZ, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

Search Flights on Skyscanner
See where's firing right nowToday's best waves worldwide, scored live
Free Strike Report

Know when Pacific is about to fire

Get the best strike windows in Pacific — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.

Free forever. Two emails a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

For real surf travel

Get the full Albatross Point trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WSW (240°)
Direction range
210° - 320°
Size range
1.6m - 6m
Ideal size
3.6m - 4.9m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
15s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
S (180°)
Offshore range
135° - 225°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all

Water temp

17°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

7/10

Crowd level

2/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Albatross Point?

The Albatross Point profile does not specify a preferred tide stage. That does not mean tide has no effect: check local conditions alongside swell and wind.

What wind direction is offshore at Albatross Point?

The Albatross Point profile uses wind from S (180°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 135° to 225°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Albatross Point?

The Albatross Point scoring profile favors swell from WSW (210° to 320°), a swell-height range of 1.6m to 6m, and a reference period of 15s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Albatross Point?

The main season at Albatross Point is Mar-Nov.

How do I get to Albatross Point?

The spot profile lists HLZ as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 110 minutes.

What kind of wave is Albatross Point?

Albatross Point is a point break, a left-hander. Difficulty is rated 7/10.

Best Season

Peak: Mar-Nov

Getting There

Airport
HLZ
Drive time
110 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion