Best time to surf Colac Bay / Ōraka

The best time to surf at Colac Bay / Ōraka is June–August, with waves of about 1.5 m and water around 11°C.

Riverton, Southland, New Zealand

Sports: Surfing

Best time to go: June–August

Colac Bay / Ōraka is a small township on a south-facing bay on Foveaux Strait, about 10 minutes west of Riverton on the Southern Scenic Route and under an hour from Invercargill. It is the most popular surf beach in Southland, with a surfer statue in the township and the Colac Bay Classic surf contest held each year. The township has a tavern, a café, a shop and a camping ground, and a surf school runs lessons in the area.

The beach is an exposed beach break with lefts and rights over sand, with rocks at the ends, and gets a mix of groundswell and wind swell. It is usually best in a south swell with a north-westerly wind, which blows offshore; a westerly can also work. It is surfable on all tides. Smaller days suit learners, and it is rarely crowded. Autumn usually brings the most clean days.

There are no lifeguards. Watch for rips and the rocks at the ends of the beach, and sharks are present in these waters. The water is cold all year, about 11 °C in August and 16 °C in February: a 5/4 or 6/5 with boots, gloves and a hood in winter, a 4/3 with boots in summer.

Month by month at Colac Bay / Ōraka

January: 9 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 16°C, air 17°C (nights 11°C), 25 sunny days, 15 rainy days
February: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 16°C, air 18°C (nights 11°C), 24 sunny days, 14 rainy days
March: 9 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 0.9 m, water 16°C, air 17°C (nights 10°C), 24 sunny days, 18 rainy days
April: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1 m, water 14°C, air 15°C (nights 9°C), 19 sunny days, 16 rainy days
May: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 13°C, air 13°C (nights 8°C), 16 sunny days, 16 rainy days
June: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 12°C, air 11°C (nights 5°C), 16 sunny days, 16 rainy days
July: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 11°C, air 10°C (nights 5°C), 15 sunny days, 17 rainy days
August: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 11°C, air 11°C (nights 5°C), 22 sunny days, 17 rainy days
September: 16 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 11°C, air 12°C (nights 6°C), 24 sunny days, 21 rainy days
October: 16 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 12°C, air 13°C (nights 7°C), 23 sunny days, 20 rainy days
November: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 0.8 m, water 13°C, air 15°C (nights 9°C), 25 sunny days, 18 rainy days
December: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 0.8 m, water 15°C, air 16°C (nights 10°C), 26 sunny days, 20 rainy days