Best time to surf Tapuaetahi

The best time to surf at Tapuaetahi is April, with waves of about 1.8 m and water around 20°C.

Te Tii, Northland, New Zealand

Sports: Surfing

Best time to go: April

Tapuaetahi is a small bay on Northland's east coast near Te Tii, north-east of Kerikeri, where the Tapuaetahi Stream reaches the sea, with Taronui Bay next to it. The beach has white sand and clear water. Access is the main issue: the road down to the beach is private, with a locked gate, and only residents, their guests and people with the gate code can drive in. Ask local hosts or the iwi before you go, or come from Taronui Bay at low tide and walk round the estuary. There are no facilities, so bring water and food.

The surf is a reef break with lefts and rights over rock. It is fickle and only works a few times a year: it needs a north-east groundswell with a south to south-west wind, which blows offshore here, and the tide matters less than the swell. The wave figures are highest from April to August (about 1.5 to 1.8 m out at sea, against 1.3 m from September to December), and autumn is the season local guides name, so it is most likely to break from March to August. On most other days the waves are too small.

Submerged rocks make it a spot for experienced surfers who know the reef. There is rarely anyone else in the water and no help nearby, so never surf alone. The water is about 16 °C in August and 22 °C in February: a 5/4 with boots in winter, a 3/2 in summer.

Month by month at Tapuaetahi

January: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 21°C, air 23°C (nights 17°C), 28 sunny days, 17 rainy days
February: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 22°C, air 23°C (nights 17°C), 24 sunny days, 14 rainy days
March: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 21°C, air 22°C (nights 15°C), 28 sunny days, 11 rainy days
April: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.8 m, water 20°C, air 20°C (nights 15°C), 23 sunny days, 17 rainy days
May: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 19°C, air 18°C (nights 13°C), 25 sunny days, 13 rainy days
June: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 17°C, air 16°C (nights 11°C), 23 sunny days, 14 rainy days
July: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 16°C, air 16°C (nights 10°C), 24 sunny days, 13 rainy days
August: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 16°C, air 15°C (nights 9°C), 24 sunny days, 14 rainy days
September: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 16°C, air 17°C (nights 10°C), 26 sunny days, 14 rainy days
October: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 16°C, air 18°C (nights 12°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days
November: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 18°C, air 20°C (nights 13°C), 28 sunny days, 17 rainy days
December: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 19°C, air 22°C (nights 16°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days