Surf spot

Papamoa

Forecast conditions and map view for Papamoa in New Zealand, New Zealand NI, East Cape. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: New Zealand, New Zealand NI, East Cape
Coordinates: -37.6932, 176.2816

Metric
Metric	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00
Wave height (m)	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.4	0.7	0.6	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4
Wave direction	NE	NE	NE	NNE	NW	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	N	N	NNE	N	N	N	N	N	N	NNE	N	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE
Wave period (s)	9.8	10.1	9.7	11.9	4.5	10.6	10.4	10.8	10.7	11.1	11.1	6.4	8.2	9.3	11.2	11.2	11.2	11.2	11	11.1	11	10.9	10.8	10.8	10.7	10.6	10.5	10.4	10.3	10.3	10.2	8.1	9.9	9.8	9.8	5	5.4	7.3	4.5	4.8	4.6	4.7	4.4	4.7	5.2	6.2	6.4	6.4	6.5	6.7	6.7	6.5	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.5
Wave energy (kJ)	8	5	4	4	1	4	4	5	4	5	5	3	3	4	6	6	6	6	6	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	7	7	5	5	5	3	5	4	4	1	2	3	6	6	18	17	22	20	20	26	42	45	42	39	37	29	25	21	17	15
Wind speed (km/h)	14.2	13.3	13.7	14.5	15.2	12	8.7	7.9	6.6	5	2.8	4.7	7.4	7.9	5.4	6.1	6.9	7	6.5	1.9	9.7	10	5.2	5.5	6.9	6.9	5.8	9.8	11.5	14.4	11.3	7.4	6.4	4.3	1.9	6.8	10.9	11.1	7.4	7.1	11.9	9.4	3.9	7.7	12.6	14.1	8.3	0.4	5.9	7.3	10.6	12.8	13.8	15.3	13.9	12.7
Wind direction	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	SWOffshore	WSWOffshore	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWGlassy	WGlassy	WSWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	NNWGlassy	NNECross-on	NNECross-on	NNWCross	SSWCross-off	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WSWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWGlassy	SSEGlassy	NNECross-on	NCross-on	NECross-on	NEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NNECross-on	NEOnshore	NEGlassy	NCross	NCross-on	NCross-on	NCross-on	NGlassy	SWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	SWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore

Papamoa is a long, exposed beach break on the Bay of Plenty coast near Tauranga on New Zealand’s North Island. It faces the Pacific, so it gets a lot of swell energy and can offer fun waves when the conditions line up.

What it’s like - Wave type: Mostly sandy beach break with shifting peaks - Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers, depending on the day - Break character: Can be playful and approachable in smaller swell, but gets more powerful and punchy when larger swells arrive - Crowds: Can be busy, especially close to access points and on good weekends

Conditions - Swells: Picks up east and northeast swell well - Wind: Best with light offshore or calm winds; onshore winds can quickly make it messy - Tide: Often works best around mid tide, though this can vary with sand movement - Hazards: Strong rips and changing sandbanks are common at beach breaks like this

Vibe Papamoa has a relaxed coastal feel, with a long stretch of beach and plenty of local surfers, swimmers, and beachgoers. It’s a good spot for learning, cruising, and catching the occasional solid wave when the sandbanks are cooperating.