Big Wave

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Level 10/10

Papatowai (Kings Rock)

Papatowai, New Zealand

🪨Rocks🪸Sharp reef😮‍💨Hold-downs🏝️Remote

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Big-wave reef off Skeleton Point near Kings Rock: a long barrelling right and a heavier, dredging left that start at about 3 m and are ridden at 6-12 m, towed or paddled. Nationally significant; often compared to Mavericks. Several big days a year, usually with gale-force cross-shore wind. It is listed as a surf break of national significance in Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement. It works best on a S swell with NW winds. Watch for: big-wave hold-downs, boils and bull kelp, remote; ski support needed.

Papatowai (Kings Rock) surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today20

Poor

2.8mSSW@15s

22km/h

2.8m@15s

22km/h

Wed21

Poor

2.0mSW@12s

27km/h

2.0m@12s

27km/h

Thu22

Poor

1.4mSW@14s

29km/h

1.4m@14s

29km/h

Fri23

Poor

2.1mSW@16s

19km/h

2.1m@16s

19km/h

Sat24

Poor

1.9mSW@15s

23km/h

1.9m@15s

23km/h

Sun25

Poor

2.3mSW@16s

32km/h

2.3m@16s

32km/h

Mon26

Poor

1.4mSW@14s

20km/h

1.4m@14s

20km/h

Tue27

Poor

1.9mSSW@11s

20km/h

1.9m@11s

20km/h

Wed28

Poor

2.4mSW@14s

26km/h

2.4m@14s

26km/h

Thu29

Fair

3.4mSW@16s

29km/h

3.4m@16s

29km/h

Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

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Best session: MorningAM 15 km/h · PM 28 km/h Groomed

Swell

2.8m

SSW(208°)

Score: 5/25

Period

15s

Groundswell

Score: 10/25

Wind

22km/h

W(272°)

Score: 7/25

Weather

13°C

0.0mm83%

First light 6:08amSunrise 6:38amSunset 8:16pmLast light 8:46pm

Windswell

0.8m@3s

Secondary

0.1m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.8m @15s SSW in window

Wind22 km/h W offshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

6am

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3pm

6pm

°C

10°

12°

15°

14°

11°

14°

17°

16°

13°

14°

16°

14°

13°

15°

19°

20°

19°

11°

15°

19°

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15°

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16°

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6°

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11°

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13°

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13°

6°

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9°

10°

9°

5m2.5

sec

15s

12s

14s

16s

15s

16s

14s

11s

14s

16s

swell

windkm/h

12g23

18g39

22g50

25g56

32g68

28g57

26g57

29g66

29g64

21g52

30g60

28g63

27g61

34g68

25g54

13g27

15g39

24g55

22g53

18g45

20g39

24g52

23g57

23g54

26g56

28g63

27g59

34g75

39g86

33g85

27g59

24g65

18g71

12g67

25g58

18g49

19g48

21g54

21g57

20g57

17g37

22g46

29g62

30g72

26g76

27g54

28g61

30g72

31g76

30g76

tidem

3:55am0.2m

10:30am1.3m

4:30pm0.2m

4:48am0.2m

11:12am1.4m

5:19pm0.2m

5:33am0.2m

11:51am1.6m

6:04pm0.1m

6:21am0.0m

12:33pm1.6m

6:41pm0.1m

12:51am1.6m

7:03am0.0m

1:14pm1.7m

7:24pm0.0m

1:32am1.8m

7:44am0.0m

1:54pm1.8m

8:01pm0.1m

2:12am2.0m

8:30am0.0m

2:38pm1.9m

8:45pm0.0m

3:02am2.1m

9:15am0.1m

3:24pm2.0m

9:34pm0.1m

3:50am2.2m

10:03am0.2m

4:14pm2.1m

10:27pm0.2m

4:40am2.1m

11:01am0.1m

Night

Tide times today

3:55 am

Low · 0.19m

10:30 am

High · 1.33m

4:30 pm

Low · 0.24m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction12/25

Swell Size5/25

Swell Period10/25

Wind7/25

Raw Score34/100

Adjustments

✨ Wind History+4

💨 Gusty Wind-5

📉 Undersized Swell-7

🚫 Undersized Capmax 64

Adjusted Score26/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score26

✨ Groomed

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.8m @15s SSW in window

Wind22 km/h W offshore

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: S (180°)
Direction range: 120° - 225°
Size range: 3m - 9m
Ideal size: 4.7m - 6.5m
Height multiplier: 1.08×
Ideal period: 17s+

Wind Requirements

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

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: all

Water temp

12°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

10/10

Crowd level

1/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Papatowai (Kings Rock)?

The Papatowai (Kings Rock) 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 Papatowai (Kings Rock)?

The Papatowai (Kings Rock) 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 Papatowai (Kings Rock)?

The Papatowai (Kings Rock) scoring profile favors swell from S (120° to 225°), a swell-height range of 3m to 9m, and a reference period of 17s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.