Surf spot

The rock

Forecast conditions and map view for The rock 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: -38.7003, 178.0510

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-off	NWCross-off	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	ESEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NGlassy	WNWCross-off	WNWCross-off	WNWCross-off	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	WNWGlassy	NWGlassy	NNWGlassy	NWGlassy	NGlassy	EGlassy	ECross	ESEGlassy	NWGlassy	NNWGlassy	NNWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NGlassy	NGlassy	NOffshore	NNEGlassy	NNWOffshore	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWGlassy	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	WNWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NNWOffshore	NNWGlassy	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	SOnshore	SOnshore	SGlassy	SECross-on	ECross	SEGlassy

The Rock is a remote surf spot on the East Cape of New Zealand’s North Island (NI). It’s known for being rugged, exposed, and often uncrowded, with a raw Pacific coastline feel.

What it’s like

Wave type: Usually a reef/point-style setup depending on the exact sand and swell interaction around the rock formation.
Best conditions: Generally works best with a solid east or northeast swell and offshore westerly to southwesterly winds.
Wave quality: Can produce fast, clean, powerful waves when the swell lines up.
Crowds: Typically light, due to the remoteness and access challenges.

Location vibe

The East Cape is one of the most isolated surf regions in NZ, with a dramatic coastline, steep headlands, and strong Pacific swell exposure.
Expect a wild, scenic, and weather-dependent surf mission rather than an easy everyday break.

Things to watch

Reef/rocks: The spot name suggests a very shallow or rocky takeoff zone, so caution is important.
Swell size: Small swells may not activate it well; larger swells can make it heavy or hazardous.
Access: Often requires local knowledge and a decent drive/walk to reach.