Best time to surf Greymouth – Blaketown

The best time to surf at Greymouth – Blaketown is July–August, with waves of about 1.7 m and water around 12°C.

Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand

Sports: Surfing

Best time to go: July–August

Blaketown is the part of Greymouth on the south side of the Grey River mouth. Its sandy beach runs south from the rock breakwater, and the road along the river leads out to the end of the wall, with parking close to the beach. Greymouth, the largest town on the South Island's West Coast, has shops, accommodation and the region's main hospital, a few minutes away.

The peak next to the breakwater usually breaks as a right off the wall, one of the best rights on the coast on its day, with more peaks along the sand to the south. It needs some size in the water and gets very solid and hollow in a big swell. It is usually best in a west to north-west swell with an easterly to south-easterly wind, which blows offshore, and around high tide. The lineup is usually quiet.

This is a spot for intermediate and experienced surfers. The usual way out on bigger days is the rip beside the breakwater, but rips and undertow by the river mouth are strong; after heavy rain the river runs brown with logs. The water is about 12 °C in August and 19 °C in February: a 5/4 with boots in winter, a 4/3 or 3/2 in summer.

Month by month at Greymouth – Blaketown

January: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.5 m, water 19°C, air 21°C (nights 13°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days
February: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 19°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 23 sunny days, 12 rainy days
March: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.8 m, water 18°C, air 19°C (nights 12°C), 25 sunny days, 15 rainy days
April: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.9 m, water 16°C, air 17°C (nights 10°C), 20 sunny days, 16 rainy days
May: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 15°C, air 15°C (nights 8°C), 18 sunny days, 17 rainy days
June: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 14°C, air 13°C (nights 6°C), 16 sunny days, 17 rainy days
July: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 13°C, air 12°C (nights 5°C), 17 sunny days, 17 rainy days
August: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 12°C, air 13°C (nights 5°C), 21 sunny days, 16 rainy days
September: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 13°C, air 14°C (nights 7°C), 21 sunny days, 22 rainy days
October: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 14°C, air 15°C (nights 8°C), 23 sunny days, 21 rainy days
November: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 0.9 m, water 15°C, air 17°C (nights 10°C), 21 sunny days, 18 rainy days
December: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 17°C, air 19°C (nights 12°C), 25 sunny days, 21 rainy days