World › New Zealand › Tasman District › Wairaiki
Wairaiki 72.7
#2371 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · Tasman District · near Nelson
Works almost every day, no off season, a mission to reach.
Works all yearRemoteIntermediate
Surf score72.7 /100
Surfable days98% of the year
Clean days22% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell59% period 11 s+
Typical size1.8 m 5.9 ft median
Water16°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Wairaiki
The best time to surf Wairaiki is February, March, April. It rarely works. In March the water sits around 18°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 1.5 m. The nearest airport is WLG (202 km) and the nearest town is Nelson (100 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 97% | 21% | 1.6 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Feb | 99% | 28% | 1.6 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Mar | 100% | 31% | 1.5 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Apr | 99% | 25% | 1.9 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| May | 95% | 25% | 1.9 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 93% | 20% | 1.8 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 97% | 22% | 2.2 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 98% | 15% | 2.1 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 95% | 17% | 2.1 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 99% | 21% | 1.8 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 100% | 24% | 1.7 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 99% | 11% | 1.7 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
Why 72.7
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%
12.7
Groundswell 12%
11.8
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
5.5
Water comfort 10%
1.9
Access 10%
3.0
The detail
Faces 345° with 56% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 37% of days. Mean peak period 11.6 s. Days over 3 m: 10%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 16%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -40.504, 172.667 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Magnets🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 37.5Green Meadows🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 80.6Op🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 77.5Arawahata Road🇳🇿 New Zealand · score 77.5
Compare Wairaiki with 5,700 other spots
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