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Sandy Bay 53.8
#4190 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · Northland · near Whangarei
Very consistent, wind is the enemy here, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score53.8 /100
Surfable days84% of the year
Clean days5% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell10% period 11 s+
Typical size1.0 m 3.3 ft median
Water18°C a 3/2 wetsuit
Best time to surf Sandy Bay
The best time to surf Sandy Bay is January, April, May. It rarely works. In April the water sits around 20°C, so pack a 2 mm shorty, and the typical wave is 0.9 m. The nearest airport is AKL (164 km) and the nearest town is Whangarei (23 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83% | 6% | 0.9 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Feb | 92% | 4% | 1.2 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Mar | 97% | 5% | 1.1 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Apr | 86% | 11% | 0.9 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| May | 83% | 10% | 1.1 m | 19°C | 3/2 |
| Jun | 83% | 2% | 1.1 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Jul | 79% | 5% | 1.2 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Aug | 83% | 5% | 1.2 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 83% | 6% | 1.0 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 74% | 2% | 0.9 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Nov | 81% | 2% | 0.9 m | 19°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 82% | 6% | 0.9 m | 20°C | 2mm |
Why 53.8
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
25.6
Clean days 24%
2.6
Groundswell 12%
1.6
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
2.2
Water comfort 10%
3.9
Access 10%
6.7
The detail
Faces 35° with 33% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 55% of days. Mean peak period 8.8 s. Days over 3 m: 1%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 60%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -35.557, 174.477 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Pataua🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 55.4Ocean Beach🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 51.3Elliots Bay🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 53.2Langs beach🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 46.4
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