Best time to surf Gore Bay

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

Cheviot, Canterbury (Hurunui), New Zealand

Sports: Surfing

Best time to go: June–September

Gore Bay is a small seaside settlement on the North Canterbury coast, about 8 km from Cheviot and some 90 minutes' drive north of Christchurch. From State Highway 1, turn off at Domett onto Hurunui Mouth Road and then Cathedral Road, or drive through Cheviot and take Gore Bay Road. Above the bay, the eroded clay pillars of the Cathedral Cliffs have a lookout. Two campgrounds, Gore Bay and Buxton, sit right by the beach; Cheviot has shops and fuel.

The surf is a beach break over sand, with lefts and rights spread along about 3 km of shore, so it is very rarely crowded. It is mostly a groundswell spot: best in a south-east swell, with a window from north-east to south, and an offshore westerly wind; even a light onshore spoils it. It is often best around high tide. Winter is the season: in June the waves are clean on about half of all days, while the summer is often flat.

Gore Bay is known as one of Canterbury's most consistent breaks and, on small days, a fair place for beginners. Check the size and look for rips before you paddle out; the nearest town is Cheviot. The beach is sand with small stones higher up. The water is about 10 °C in August and 17 °C in February: a 5/4 with boots in winter, a 3/2 in summer.

Month by month at Gore Bay

January: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 17°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 26 sunny days, 11 rainy days
February: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 17°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 23 sunny days, 10 rainy days
March: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 17°C, air 19°C (nights 11°C), 25 sunny days, 11 rainy days
April: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1 m, water 15°C, air 17°C (nights 10°C), 22 sunny days, 9 rainy days
May: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 13°C, air 15°C (nights 7°C), 21 sunny days, 7 rainy days
June: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 12°C, air 13°C (nights 5°C), 17 sunny days, 11 rainy days
July: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 11°C, air 12°C (nights 4°C), 21 sunny days, 11 rainy days
August: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 10°C, air 13°C (nights 4°C), 24 sunny days, 10 rainy days
September: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 11°C, air 15°C (nights 6°C), 25 sunny days, 12 rainy days
October: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 12°C, air 17°C (nights 8°C), 26 sunny days, 11 rainy days
November: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1 m, water 14°C, air 19°C (nights 11°C), 27 sunny days, 10 rainy days
December: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 0.9 m, water 16°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 26 sunny days, 12 rainy days