Reef
right
Level 8/10

Waipoua Reefs

Waipoua, New Zealand
🪸Sharp reef🏝️Remote

Isolated right reefs on the Kauri Coast north of Dargaville that throw powerful, challenging waves for small groups of experts; the council rates the Kawerua-Waipoua reefs 10 of 10 for quality and 8 for consistency. It works best on a SW swell with ENE winds around high tide. Watch for: isolated, powerful; experts only.

Waipoua Reefs surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today20
64
Fair
2.2m@14s
13km/h
Wed21
56
Fair
1.9m@14s
14km/h
Thu22
48
Fair
1.6m@14s
15km/h
Fri23
25
Poor
1.5m@9s
15km/h
Sat24
75
Good
2.2m@16s
9km/h
Sun25
79
Good
1.9m@15s
7km/h
Mon26
58
Fair
2.0m@16s
14km/h
Tue27
42
Poor
1.3m@14s
24km/h
Wed28
35
Poor
2.3m@11s
18km/h
Thu29
49
Fair
1.6m@12s
18km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 10 km/h · PM 17 km/h
Swell
2.2m
SW(215°)
Score: 25/25
Period
14s
Groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
13km/h
S(180°)
Score: 5/25
Weather
15°C
0.0mm15%
First light 6:07amSunrise 6:37amSunset 7:45pmLast light 8:15pm
Windswell
0.1m@2s
Secondary
0.6m
Confidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
Swell2.2m @14s SW in window
Wind13 km/h S onshore
SwellWind: Offshore Cross OnshoreShaded = inside ideal window
Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 4:05–6:20pm · through highIdeal tide: high
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°
14°
17°
16°
15°
13°
15°
16°
17°
16°
13°
14°
15°
16°
15°
13°
14°
17°
17°
16°
10°
15°
17°
17°
16°
13°
15°
17°
17°
16°
11°
14°
19°
20°
18°
17°
18°
20°
20°
19°
17°
18°
18°
18°
18°
18°
19°
22°
21°
19°
3m1.5
sec
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
swell
windkm/h
10g20
11g25
13g32
17g40
17g36
8g16
14g29
15g35
15g35
16g36
12g23
15g32
16g36
15g35
16g35
17g37
16g35
13g31
15g35
17g37
7g13
4g14
11g29
12g36
10g30
2g4
5g14
11g26
11g29
7g27
7g15
6g22
17g38
20g45
18g46
19g39
23g47
28g57
26g61
21g60
17g35
18g36
19g40
19g43
16g45
13g31
15g35
18g41
20g45
24g48
tidem
4:38am1.9m
10:52am0.8m
5:14pm2.1m
5:48am2.0m
11:54am0.7m
6:16pm2.2m
12:33am0.6m
6:45am2.1m
12:49pm0.6m
7:04pm2.3m
1:20am0.5m
7:32am2.3m
1:36pm0.5m
7:46pm2.5m
2:02am0.3m
8:14am2.5m
2:17pm0.3m
8:27pm2.6m
2:42am0.1m
8:53am2.6m
2:59pm0.2m
9:07pm2.8m
3:22am0.0m
9:33am2.8m
3:42pm0.1m
9:47pm2.9m
4:02am0.0m
10:12am2.9m
4:24pm0.1m
10:28pm2.9m
4:44am0.0m
10:54am2.9m
5:10pm0.1m
5:30am0.0m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

4:38 am
High · 1.90m
10:52 am
Low · 0.79m
5:14 pm
High · 2.06m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

64
Fair
Components
Swell Direction17/25
Swell Size25/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind5/25
Raw Score72/100
Adjustments
Wind History-3
💨 Gusty Wind-5
Adjusted Score64/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score64

Plan Your Strike

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (235°)
Direction range
190° - 310°
Size range
0.8m - 3.9m
Ideal size
2.2m - 3.1m
Height multiplier
1.00×
Ideal period
13s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ENE (60°)
Offshore range
15° - 105°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
high

Water temp

18°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

8/10

Crowd level

2/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Waipoua Reefs?

The Waipoua Reefs profile favors high tide. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Waipoua Reefs?

The Waipoua Reefs profile uses wind from ENE (60°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 15° to 105°. 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 Waipoua Reefs?

The Waipoua Reefs scoring profile favors swell from SW (190° to 310°), a swell-height range of 0.8m to 3.9m, and a reference period of 13s. 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 Waipoua Reefs?

The main season at Waipoua Reefs is Mar-Nov.

How do I get to Waipoua Reefs?

The spot profile lists KKE as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 95 minutes.

What kind of wave is Waipoua Reefs?

Waipoua Reefs is a reef break, a right-hander. Difficulty is rated 8/10.

Best Season

Peak: Mar-Nov

Getting There

Airport
KKE
Drive time
95 min
Data quality
community

Strike Log

Community Discussion