St Clair
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.
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Location & Conditions
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Spot Details
Swell Requirements
- Optimal direction
- S (180°)
- Direction range
- 150° - 220°
- Size range
- 0.6m - 2.5m
- Ideal size
- 1.9m
- Height multiplier
- 0.97×
- Ideal period
- 14s+
Wind Requirements
- Optimal direction
- N (0°)
- Offshore range
- 320° - 40°
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.
Best Season
Peak: Mar-Oct
Secondary: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
Consistent S swells. Medium-high consistency year-round.