Surf spot

The Island

Forecast conditions and map view for The Island 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: -38.7060, 178.0472

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)	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.9	1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	1.4
Wave direction	SSE	SSE	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	E	ENE
Wave period (s)	7.5	8.1	9.3	7.3	5	5	5.7	7.2	6.3	6.3	6.7	6.7	8.1	10	10.3	5	7.2	7.5	7.8	8	8	6.9	6.3	6.6	6.5	6.5	6.9	6.7	6.5	6.8	7.2	7.3	6.9	6.8	6.5	8.1	7.5	7.5	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.7	7.7	7.8	7.9	7.6	7.5	12.3	11.3	10.8	10.8	9.6	9.4	9.3	7.8	5.9
Wave energy (kJ)	26	28	31	21	41	50	77	116	102	88	99	82	84	98	82	35	88	94	108	112	107	81	67	77	76	51	61	57	46	47	53	52	41	36	24	38	49	50	50	50	47	45	42	40	42	31	29	70	126	157	173	143	132	123	81	136
Wind speed (km/h)	7.7	7.1	6.2	10.3	9.9	8.1	3.4	3	2.9	5.4	6.8	7.5	12.6	14.2	6.5	4	3.8	3.4	3.6	2.2	4.4	7.6	3	3.9	4.8	5.5	5.8	4	2.5	6.2	4.1	7.4	7.4	7.1	6.9	6.1	1.8	2.4	3.2	5.4	6.2	6.1	8.2	10.5	16.6	12.2	9.4	4.8	4.3	4.8	6.9	6.9	4.4	6.1	5.4	2.3
Wind direction	NWCross-off	WNWCross	NWCross-off	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	ESEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NGlassy	WNWCross	WNWCross	WNWCross	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	WNWGlassy	NWGlassy	NNWGlassy	NWGlassy	NGlassy	EGlassy	ECross	ESEGlassy	NWGlassy	NNWGlassy	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NGlassy	NGlassy	NOffshore	NNEGlassy	NNWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWGlassy	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	WNWCross	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NNWGlassy	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	SOnshore	SOnshore	SGlassy	SECross-on	ECross	SEGlassy

The Island is a surf spot on New Zealand’s North Island, along the East Cape. It’s known as a remote, often exposed reef/point-style break that can deliver powerful, clean waves when the conditions line up.

What to expect

Wave type: Fast, punchy surf with hollow sections at times
Best conditions: Offshore winds and a solid swell, with a good angle wrapping in from the ocean
Skill level: Generally intermediate to advanced due to the power of the wave, reef/rock hazards, and the remoteness
Crowds: Usually light, because it’s not an easy-access, heavily surfed spot
Risks: Sharp reef/rocks, strong currents, and limited help nearby

Location vibe

The East Cape is one of the most isolated and scenic surf regions in New Zealand, so The Island tends to feel wild and uncrowded. Access and exact surf quality can vary a lot depending on swell direction, tide, and local knowledge.