Surf spot

Sumner Bar

Forecast conditions and map view for Sumner Bar in New Zealand, New Zealand SI, NE Coast. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: New Zealand, New Zealand SI, NE Coast
Coordinates: -43.5604, 172.7622

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)	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Wave direction	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	SE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NNE	SE	ENE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	NE	NE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NNE	N	NNE	NNE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ENE
Wave period (s)	9	9.9	9.7	8.3	7.5	8.3	4.5	2.8	2.7	2.8	2.8	3.3	4.2	7.9	4	4.2	4.5	3.9	4.3	4.4	4.5	4.7	4.4	4.3	2.9	2.9	8.4	8.2	8.9	9	4.5	3.4	3.7	4.2	4.3	4.2	4.3	2.9	3.6	3.4	3.5	6	5.2	5.5	5.5	5.5	6.3	6.8	6.5	10.1	10	9.9	9.8	9.7	9.7	7.7
Wave energy (kJ)	2	3	3	3	2	3	1	2	2	1	1	0	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	2	2	1	2	4	4	3	2	2	1	1	2	2	8	9	10	8	5	5	5	4	12	14	13	11	9	9	6
Wind speed (km/h)	5.1	2.5	2.5	7.7	1.9	11.8	12.7	16.7	7	11	10.5	11.2	9.5	3.5	4	10.1	6.5	5.7	5	6.4	9.2	7.4	6.2	5.9	5.1	5.2	6	8.7	10.7	9.2	5.1	3.2	3.6	2.6	3.8	5.2	11.4	15.9	8.2	14.1	7.3	4.7	6.3	8.6	4	7.2	2.1	22.7	16.9	22.5	18	7	12.1	10.3	5.1	5.9
Wind direction	ECross-on	NGlassy	WGlassy	SOffshore	SSEGlassy	NEOnshore	NECross-on	NEOnshore	WSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWOffshore	SOffshore	ENEGlassy	NGlassy	NNEOnshore	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	NNEOnshore	NEOnshore	NEOnshore	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	ENECross-on	ECross-on	WGlassy	WGlassy	NWGlassy	SWGlassy	NNWCross-on	WNWCross	WNWCross	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	SSWOffshore	SSWGlassy	SSWOffshore	SSWOffshore	NGlassy	ENECross-on	SSEGlassy	SSWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WNWCross	NOnshore	ENECross-on	SECross-off	WSWCross-off

Sumner Bar is a sandbar surf break near Christchurch on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It sits at the mouth of the Avon–Heathcote Estuary, where shifting sandbanks create a fast, hollow, and often playful wave.

Quick description

Break type: Sandbar / river-mouth-style beach break
Best in: Small to medium swell, depending on sand movement
Wave character: Fast, punchy, can be hollow on the right sand setup
Conditions: Often best with offshore winds and a clean incoming swell
Crowds: Popular with local surfers due to its proximity to Christchurch

What it’s like

Sumner Bar can produce fun peaks that break in a shallow, dynamic zone, so the surf quality changes frequently with sand movement, tides, and storms. On a good day it can offer quick takeoffs and sections for turns or barrels, while on average days it may be more crumbly and inconsistent.

Good to know

Sandbanks shift regularly, so the takeoff and best peak can move around.
Can get rippy and shallow, especially around the bar and at lower tides.
Works best with the right swell direction and tide, but exact sweet spots vary with the season and sand state.