Surf spot

Te Henga

Forecast conditions and map view for Te Henga in New Zealand, New Zealand NI, West Coast Auckland. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: New Zealand, New Zealand NI, West Coast Auckland
Coordinates: -36.8954, 174.4442

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)	3.3	2.9	2.7	3.2	3.8	4	4.1	4.2	4.2	4	3.8	3.9	3.9	3.7	3.8	3.7	3.5	3.3	3.2	3.1	3	2.8	2.6	2.7	2.6	2.4	2.3	2.1	2	1.9	1.8	1.8	1.7	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.2	1.1	1	1	1	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.7	2.1	2.5	3.2	3.7	3.9	3.8	3.8	3.8
Wave direction	SW	SW	SW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW
Wave period (s)	12.7	12.9	12.6	10.9	10.2	10	9.7	10.3	10.8	11.3	11.8	11.6	11.1	11.1	10.6	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.2	10.1	10.1	10.1	10.1	9.8	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.6	9.6	9.4	9.3	9.1	9	9	8.8	8.7	8.6	8.6	8.6	8.8	8.5	8.5	9.2	10.9	12	12	12.1	12.2	11.9	10.8	9.9	9.6	9.7	9.8	9.7	10.4
Wave energy (kJ)	3599	2722	2331	2395	2942	3232	3194	3815	4116	4168	4055	3975	3748	3447	3177	2842	2565	2339	2136	1961	1794	1629	1379	1359	1233	1084	968	844	759	665	579	513	446	384	326	277	235	199	173	166	139	150	274	377	472	581	689	833	1212	1399	1977	2497	2862	2717	2689	3124
Wind speed (km/h)	20.2	24	23.8	23.5	22.1	21.5	18	16.1	16.3	18.1	18.9	18.4	18.6	17.8	15.1	15	11.8	9.2	8.2	12.9	16.3	15.2	10	9.7	6.6	7.2	6.2	12.8	12.8	12.3	9	9	10	9.8	7.1	10.9	11.7	11.9	8	10.5	9.2	5.9	6	8.7	11.1	8	6.1	4.1	1	12.3	8	9.2	17	14	15.9	12
Wind direction	SWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	NNWCross	NNECross-off	NCross-off	NNWCross-on	NWCross-on	NNECross-off	NEGlassy	NWGlassy	SSECross	SECross-off	SECross-off	ESECross-off	ESEOffshore	ESECross-off	SECross-off

Te Henga (also known as Bethells Beach) is a rugged west-coast surf spot on the North Island of New Zealand, about an hour from Auckland. It’s one of the more exposed breaks in the Auckland region, facing the Tasman Sea, so it picks up plenty of swell — especially in autumn and winter.

What it’s like

Type of break: Mainly a beach break with shifting sandbars
Wave quality: Can be very good when the banks line up, with punchy, hollow sections at times
Best swell: Works well with west to northwest swell, and can handle a decent size
Wind: Best in light offshore easterly winds; west winds tend to make it messy
Crowds: Usually less crowded than Auckland’s more urban beaches, but it can still draw local surfers when conditions are good

Conditions and hazards

Strong rip currents are common
The surf can change quickly due to moving sandbanks
It’s an open, powerful beach with limited shelter from swell and wind
Be cautious if the waves are big or the tide is running strongly

Vibe

Te Henga has a wild, remote feel, with dramatic black-sand coastline and surrounding cliffs. It’s a scenic spot, but the surf is best suited to surfers who are comfortable reading beach breaks and dealing with variable conditions.