World › New Zealand › Bay of Plenty › Papamoa
Papamoa 57.3
#3865 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · Bay of Plenty · near Tauranga
Very consistent, wind is the enemy here, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score57.3 /100
Surfable days89% of the year
Clean days7% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell10% period 11 s+
Typical size1.1 m 3.4 ft median
Water17°C a 3/2 wetsuit
Best time to surf Papamoa
The best time to surf Papamoa is January, March, May. It rarely works. In January the water sits around 21°C, so pack a 2 mm shorty, and the typical wave is 1.0 m. The nearest airport is HLZ (85 km) and the nearest town is Tauranga (11 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93% | 13% | 1.0 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Feb | 94% | 11% | 1.2 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Mar | 94% | 12% | 1.0 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| Apr | 91% | 10% | 0.9 m | 19°C | 3/2 |
| May | 85% | 13% | 1.1 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Jun | 85% | 2% | 1.2 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 88% | 6% | 1.4 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 93% | 9% | 1.2 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 90% | 5% | 1.1 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 74% | 2% | 0.9 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 86% | 1% | 0.9 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 90% | 7% | 1.0 m | 20°C | 2mm |
Why 57.3
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
3.9
Groundswell 12%
1.6
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
2.3
Water comfort 10%
3.1
Access 10%
8.9
The detail
Faces 30° with 44% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 78% of days. Mean peak period 8.5 s. Days over 3 m: 2%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 58%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -37.693, 176.282 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
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