Surf spot

Wainui Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Wainui Beach 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: -38.6853, 178.0783

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)	1.1	1.1	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.6	0.9	0.9	1.1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6
Wave direction	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	S	SSE	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	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE
Wave period (s)	9.5	8.9	8.2	8.3	10	9.3	6.2	5	7.3	7.8	7.7	8.2	7.2	6.3	6.8	7.1	7.2	6.8	7.5	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.9	8	8	8	8	8.2	8.4	8.8	9.7	9.3	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.4	9.3	9.3	9.2	9.2
Wave energy (kJ)	211	199	119	101	104	71	57	40	121	127	108	140	98	77	100	109	112	90	107	95	91	75	83	79	77	76	66	68	76	77	79	79	79	76	73	69	66	63	61	66	79	92	106	119	119	119	119	113	109	109	103	92	91	80	74	60
Wind speed (km/h)	6.2	6.1	7.9	10.1	15.3	17.3	13.1	8.4	6.2	6.2	4.1	3	6.4	10.1	4.7	4.9	4.5	3.5	3.3	3.1	11	13	10.6	7.6	13.2	11.6	9	7.4	4.7	6.5	3.6	10.9	11.6	11.8	16.6	13.5	8.7	9.5	5.5	6.7	4.9	3.3	7.6	12.6	11.9	5.8	7.1	9.2	7.4	6.2	7.2	5.8	9.3	8.3	8.2	9.8
Wind direction	NNWCross-off	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WOffshore	SCross	SCross-on	SSWCross	SWCross-off	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWGlassy	NNEGlassy	NECross-on	ENECross-on	ENEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNWGlassy	NNWGlassy	NGlassy	NEGlassy	ENECross-on	NECross-on	NNECross	NNWCross-off	NWOffshore	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWOffshore	EGlassy	EOnshore	NGlassy	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NWCross-off	NNWGlassy	NWGlassy	NECross-on	NNECross	NCross	NNWCross-off	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	WOffshore	ESEOnshore	NWOffshore	NWCross-off	WNWOffshore

Wainui Beach is a long, open beachbreak on the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island, near Gisborne / East Cape. It’s one of the region’s most well-known surf beaches, exposed to a wide range of Pacific swells.

Surf character

Type: Beachbreak
Best for: Intermediate surfers and above, though it can be friendly on smaller, softer days
Wave quality: Can be very good when sandbanks line up, with punchy peaks and some longer walls
Consistency: Fairly consistent thanks to its open exposure to east and northeast swell
Crowds: Popular with locals, especially when conditions are good

Conditions

Swell direction: Works well with east to northeast swell
Wind: Best in light offshore or clean southwest/west winds
Tide: Often best on mid tide, but this can vary with sand movement
Bottom: Sandy, so the break can change shape from season to season

What to expect

Wainui often produces fun, accessible beachbreak surf with plenty of energy. On smaller days it can be playful and mellow; on bigger swells it can become powerful and sometimes heavy, with strong currents and closeouts in some sections.

Setting

The beach is scenic and exposed, with a laid-back East Coast vibe. It’s a popular spot for locals, visitors, and surfers heading through the Gisborne area.