Reef
both
Level 5/10

Takapuna Reef (North Reef)

Takapuna, New Zealand
🪨Rocks🪸Sharp reef👊Localism👥Crowded⚠️Shallow

Reef peak in front of the Takapuna boat ramp: the right shoulders off, and the trickier left sucks over shallow rocks before spinning down about 50 m of reef. N-E swell; a busy, competitive local crowd. Watch for the channel marker pole. It works best on a NE swell with W winds around low tide. Watch for: shallow rocks on the left; channel marker pole; crowds.

Takapuna Reef (North Reef) surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today20
15
Poor
0.1m@9s
6km/h
Wed21
0
Poor
0.1m@4s
15km/h
Thu22
14
Poor
0.1m@13s
16km/h
Fri23
0
Poor
0.1m@5s
12km/h
Sat24
15
Poor
0.1m@6s
5km/h
Sun25
15
Poor
0.1m@5s
10km/h
Mon26
15
Poor
0.1m@5s
15km/h
Tue27
0
Poor
0.3m@5s
23km/h
Wed28
11
Poor
0.5m@6s
20km/h
Thu29
8
Poor
0.3m@7s
13km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 8 km/h · Low tide at 8am (0.7m)
Swell
0.1m
NE(37°)
Score: 0/25
Period
9s
Short period
Score: 21/25
Wind
6km/h
SW(215°)
Score: 21/25
Weather
17°C
0.0mm14%
First light 6:00amSunrise 6:30amSunset 7:41pmLast light 8:11pm
Windswell
—
Secondary
—
Confidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
Swell0.1m @9s NE in window
Wind6 km/h SW cross-shore
SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window
Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 6:41–9:53am · through lowStrike window: 7:31–8:11pm · 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
11°
15°
19°
20°
18°
13°
15°
18°
19°
17°
14°
16°
18°
18°
17°
14°
16°
19°
21°
19°
12°
15°
20°
21°
19°
11°
16°
19°
20°
18°
12°
15°
20°
21°
19°
16°
19°
22°
22°
20°
17°
18°
19°
20°
19°
17°
19°
21°
20°
19°
2m1.0
sec
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
4s
4s
4s
4s
4s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
6s
6s
6s
6s
6s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
5s
6s
6s
6s
6s
6s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
swell
windkm/h
6g13
7g19
4g22
5g23
11g31
8g16
15g35
17g41
17g43
16g42
10g20
15g36
16g40
18g44
19g45
13g28
16g39
9g30
9g28
12g31
5g13
5g17
2g18
4g22
11g32
6g10
7g21
10g30
13g33
11g34
9g18
13g25
17g41
18g49
17g52
17g34
21g45
26g62
26g67
21g64
19g43
20g47
23g54
21g58
17g57
13g30
14g35
15g44
13g44
10g39
tidem
2:12am2.0m
8:16am0.7m
2:41pm2.1m
9:01pm0.7m
3:04am2.0m
9:13am0.6m
3:40pm2.1m
9:55pm0.6m
4:01am2.0m
10:08am0.6m
4:26pm2.1m
4:56am2.1m
11:00am0.6m
5:15pm2.3m
5:45am2.2m
11:51am0.4m
6:00pm2.3m
6:32am2.3m
12:38pm0.3m
6:45pm2.4m
1:03am0.2m
7:19am2.5m
1:26pm0.3m
7:30pm2.5m
1:49am0.1m
8:02am2.6m
2:16pm0.3m
8:12pm2.6m
2:38am0.0m
8:43am2.7m
3:06pm0.2m
8:58pm2.6m
3:28am0.0m
9:32am2.7m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

2:12 am
High · 2.00m
8:16 am
Low · 0.67m
2:41 pm
High · 2.14m
9:01 pm
Low · 0.70m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

15
Poor
Components
Swell Direction19/25
Swell Size0/25
Swell Period21/25
Wind21/25
Raw Score61/100
Adjustments
💨 Gusty Wind-4
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score57/100
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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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
NE (45°)
Direction range
0° - 90°
Size range
1.2m - 4.8m
Ideal size
2.8m - 3.9m
Height multiplier
1.03×
Ideal period
10s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
W (270°)
Offshore range
225° - 315°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
low

Water temp

17°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

9/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Takapuna Reef (North Reef)?

The Takapuna Reef (North 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 Takapuna Reef (North Reef)?

The Takapuna Reef (North Reef) profile uses wind from W (270°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 225° to 315°. 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 Takapuna Reef (North Reef)?

The Takapuna Reef (North Reef) scoring profile favors swell from NE (0° to 90°), a swell-height range of 1.2m to 4.8m, and a reference period of 10s. 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 Takapuna Reef (North Reef)?

The main season at Takapuna Reef (North Reef) is Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr.

How do I get to Takapuna Reef (North Reef)?

The spot profile lists AKL as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 30 minutes.

What kind of wave is Takapuna Reef (North Reef)?

Takapuna Reef (North Reef) is a reef break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 5/10.

Best Season

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

Getting There

Airport
AKL
Drive time
30 min
Data quality
community

Strike Log

Community Discussion