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Level 7/10

Kuaotunu

Kuaotunu, New Zealand

🪨Rocks⚠️Shallow

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Fast, hollow right over sand and rock in the sheltered Kuaotunu bay, which needs a solid N swell; when one arrives it is a genuinely good, barrelling wave, shallow, with rides over 200 m. Advanced to expert. It works best on a N swell with S winds around mid tide. Watch for: shallow; fast and hollow.

Kuaotunu surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today20

Poor

0.3mE@11s

10km/h

0.3m@11s

10km/h

Wed21

Poor

0.2mNE@11s

10km/h

0.2m@11s

10km/h

Thu22

Poor

0.2mENE@13s

14km/h

0.2m@13s

14km/h

Fri23

Poor

0.2mENE@11s

10km/h

0.2m@11s

10km/h

Sat24

Poor

0.2mENE@11s

9km/h

0.2m@11s

9km/h

Sun25

Poor

0.2mE@12s

15km/h

0.2m@12s

15km/h

Mon26

Poor

0.2mNE@12s

15km/h

0.2m@12s

15km/h

Tue27

Poor

0.6mN@9s

25km/h

0.6m@9s

25km/h

Wed28

Poor

0.7mN@6s

20km/h

0.7m@6s

20km/h

Thu29

Poor

0.5mNNE@7s

22km/h

0.5m@7s

22km/h

Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 5 km/h · PM 14 km/h · Tide at 7am (0.5m)

Swell

0.3m

E(88°)

Score: 0/25

Period

11s

Mid-period swell

Score: 25/25

Wind

10km/h

NE(50°)

Score: 10/25

Weather

15°C

0.0mm12%

First light 5:56amSunrise 6:26amSunset 7:37pmLast light 8:07pm

Windswell

—

Secondary

0.2m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell0.3m @11s E outside window

Wind10 km/h NE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 9:43am–12:26pm · risingStrike window: 4:08–6:52pm · droppingIdeal tide: mid

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

9°

13°

17°

18°

17°

10°

15°

19°

20°

19°

10°

16°

19°

21°

18°

11°

16°

20°

19°

17°

9°

15°

19°

21°

19°

11°

16°

19°

20°

18°

12°

15°

19°

20°

18°

17°

18°

20°

19°

17°

18°

19°

17°

19°

21°

19°

2m1.0

sec

11s

13s

11s

12s

swell

windkm/h

6g12

4g15

10g27

14g32

14g33

11g19

13g29

10g28

4g20

14g30

12g21

15g32

11g30

12g31

21g44

12g27

9g25

7g22

15g37

8g34

3g8

1g13

12g30

14g36

17g37

8g13

14g30

18g40

18g41

15g39

6g13

11g21

19g41

20g48

21g48

21g39

24g47

27g59

26g63

22g59

17g39

19g41

22g45

21g46

19g45

18g33

20g39

23g49

25g53

26g54

tidem

1:45am1.5m

7:57am0.5m

2:16pm1.6m

8:39pm0.5m

2:39am1.5m

8:51am0.4m

3:11pm1.6m

9:30pm0.4m

3:35am1.5m

9:45am0.4m

4:02pm1.6m

10:22pm0.4m

4:30am1.6m

10:34am0.4m

4:48pm1.7m

5:18am1.6m

11:26am0.3m

5:36pm1.7m

6:10am1.7m

12:14pm0.3m

6:23pm1.8m

12:40am0.1m

6:55am1.8m

1:01pm0.2m

7:09pm1.9m

1:27am0.1m

7:43am2.0m

1:51pm0.2m

7:54pm2.0m

2:12am0.0m

8:27am2.0m

2:40pm0.1m

8:43pm2.0m

3:01am0.0m

9:16am2.1m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

1:45 am

High · 1.51m

7:57 am

Low · 0.47m

2:16 pm

High · 1.60m

8:39 pm

Low · 0.49m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction0/25

Swell Size0/25

Swell Period25/25

Wind10/25

Raw Score35/100

Adjustments

💨 Gusty Wind-4

⚠️ Weak Component-10

🚫 Undersized Capmax 15

Adjusted Score21/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score15

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell0.3m @11s E outside window

Wind10 km/h NE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: N (10°)
Direction range: 330° - 60°
Size range: 1.3m - 4m
Ideal size: 2.5m - 3.3m
Height multiplier: 0.90×
Ideal period: 11s+

Wind Requirements

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

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid

Water temp

19°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

7/10

Crowd level

3/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Kuaotunu?

The Kuaotunu profile favors mid tide. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Kuaotunu?

The Kuaotunu 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 Kuaotunu?

The Kuaotunu scoring profile favors swell from N (330° to 60°), a swell-height range of 1.3m to 4m, and a reference period of 11s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.