Reef
left
Level 3/10

North Makorori Reef

Makorori, New Zealand
🪸Sharp reef

Long, forgiving left over reef and sand at the north end of Makorori Beach that breaks in most swells once the tide drops; a beginner and longboard wave that can get gnarly in big swells. Any northerly helps, and SW is cross-shore. It works best on an ENE swell with NW winds around low tide. Watch for: reef; gnarly when big.

North Makorori Reef surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today20
48
Fair
1.8m@15s
12km/h
Wed21
53
Fair
1.4m@14s
9km/h
Thu22
53
Fair
1.3m@14s
11km/h
Fri23
29
Poor
0.9m@10s
11km/h
Sat24
47
Fair
1.2m@10s
20km/h
Sun25
60
Fair
1.0m@13s
20km/h
Mon26
37
Poor
0.7m@11s
30km/h
Tue27
15
Poor
0.4m@10s
25km/h
Wed28
14
Poor
0.5m@7s
4km/h
Thu29
11
Poor
0.6m@10s
25km/h
Groomed Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 9 km/h · PM 13 km/h · Low tide at 7am (0.1m)
Swell
1.8m
S(183°)
Score: 22/25
Period
15s
Groundswell
Score: 23/25
Wind
12km/h
SSW(198°)
Score: 7/25
Weather
13°C
0.0mm31%
First light 5:44amSunrise 6:14amSunset 7:30pmLast light 8:00pm
Windswell
0.1m@1s
Secondary
0.1m
Confidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
Swell1.8m @15s S outside window
Wind12 km/h SSW onshore
SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window
Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:44–9:43am · through lowStrike window: 4:51–8:00pm · droppingIdeal tide: low
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
8°
12°
15°
16°
15°
11°
16°
17°
17°
15°
10°
15°
19°
21°
22°
11°
17°
17°
18°
18°
14°
19°
23°
25°
21°
13°
16°
20°
22°
20°
12°
15°
20°
20°
18°
17°
19°
21°
19°
15°
14°
15°
17°
18°
16°
10°
13°
18°
19°
17°
2m1.0
sec
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
swell
windkm/h
7g10
11g22
13g29
15g29
12g25
8g14
6g17
10g23
11g25
8g21
3g5
4g14
13g27
17g34
14g27
6g9
7g18
18g35
11g28
13g27
16g25
18g32
19g38
20g38
27g44
26g42
20g41
19g39
14g36
21g40
29g48
30g51
31g53
31g55
31g55
28g53
31g55
32g57
18g59
17g62
3g12
2g8
2g12
6g23
11g38
22g44
24g47
28g48
26g49
23g49
tidem
12:54am1.1m
7:05am0.1m
1:20pm1.1m
7:40pm0.1m
1:46am1.0m
7:51am0.1m
2:08pm1.1m
8:30pm0.1m
2:35am1.0m
8:42am0.1m
2:57pm1.2m
9:20pm0.1m
3:20am1.1m
9:34am0.1m
3:42pm1.2m
10:04pm0.0m
4:11am1.1m
10:20am0.1m
4:30pm1.2m
5:02am1.2m
11:10am0.1m
5:22pm1.3m
5:51am1.3m
12:00pm0.1m
6:14pm1.4m
6:43am1.4m
12:54pm0.1m
7:03pm1.5m
1:16am0.0m
7:30am1.5m
1:46pm0.0m
7:53pm1.5m
2:08am0.0m
8:23am1.6m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

12:54 am
High · 1.06m
7:05 am
Low · 0.15m
1:20 pm
High · 1.13m
7:40 pm
Low · 0.12m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

48
Fair
Components
Swell Direction6/25
Swell Size22/25
Swell Period23/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score58/100
Adjustments
🤢 Wind History-7
💨 Gusty Wind-3
Adjusted Score48/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score48
🤢 Morning Sickness

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
ENE (60°)
Direction range
30° - 180°
Size range
0.9m - 3.4m
Ideal size
2m - 2.8m
Height multiplier
1.00×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NW (315°)
Offshore range
270° - 0°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
low

Water temp

18°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

3/10

Crowd level

5/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at North Makorori Reef?

The North Makorori Reef profile favors low tide. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at North Makorori Reef?

The North Makorori Reef profile uses wind from NW (315°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 270° to 0°. 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 North Makorori Reef?

The North Makorori Reef scoring profile favors swell from ENE (30° to 180°), a swell-height range of 0.9m to 3.4m, and a reference period of 12s. 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 North Makorori Reef?

The main season at North Makorori Reef is Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr.

How do I get to North Makorori Reef?

The spot profile lists GIS as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 15 minutes.

What kind of wave is North Makorori Reef?

North Makorori Reef is a reef break, a left-hander. Difficulty is rated 3/10.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr

Getting There

Airport
GIS
Drive time
15 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion