Mount Maunganui – Main Beach

Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Sports: Surfing, SUP

Best time to go: April–July

Main Beach runs south-east from Mauao, the 230-metre volcanic cone at the tip of Mount Maunganui, near Tauranga. The beach faces north-east and needs swell from the north to east, such as summer cyclone swells and winter lows, to break; then sandbars along the beach and the reef by the headland, known as the Mount reef, provide waves for all levels. South-westerly winds blow offshore.

The beach is busy and lifeguarded in summer, with surf schools and a long promenade of cafés. The artificial reef experiment of the 2000s did little, and the best waves still come from the natural banks. On small days it is a good place to learn; cyclone swells bring powerful, crowded surf.

Month by month at Mount Maunganui – Main Beach

January: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 21°C, air 23°C (nights 16°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days
February: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 21°C, air 23°C (nights 16°C), 24 sunny days, 14 rainy days
March: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 21°C, air 22°C (nights 14°C), 27 sunny days, 10 rainy days
April: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 19°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 23 sunny days, 14 rainy days
May: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 18°C, air 17°C (nights 10°C), 25 sunny days, 11 rainy days
June: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 16°C, air 15°C (nights 9°C), 22 sunny days, 13 rainy days
July: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 15°C, air 14°C (nights 7°C), 23 sunny days, 12 rainy days
August: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 14°C, air 15°C (nights 7°C), 25 sunny days, 11 rainy days
September: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 15°C, air 16°C (nights 9°C), 25 sunny days, 12 rainy days
October: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 16°C, air 18°C (nights 10°C), 28 sunny days, 13 rainy days
November: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 17°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 27 sunny days, 17 rainy days
December: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 19°C, air 22°C (nights 15°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days

When is the best time to go surfing at Mount Maunganui – Main Beach?

April–July, when the waves are biggest.

How warm is the water at Mount Maunganui – Main Beach?

14°C to 21°C over the year: a 3/2 full suit in the warmest month, a 5/4 with boots in the coolest.

How windy is Mount Maunganui – Main Beach?

About 59 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in October.

Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).

Spots near Mount Maunganui – Main Beach

More: All spots in New Zealand · Surfing in New Zealand · SUP in New Zealand

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