Surf Otago Peninsula Surfing
Taranaki The New Zealand Surf Capital
New Zealand Surf Introduction
. You have a choice of over 40 breaks within a one
hour drive of the city. For those who brave the sharp winds and
chilly waters, this coast can deliver the best surfing in the South
Island. You just need to be outfitted in a complete neoprene wardrobe
to survive.
St Clair is Dunedin’s main beach where most swimmers and surfers
hang out. Large sandbanks produce Excellent beach breaks in swells
up to 2 metres. The right-hand point break works well if big south
swells coincide with high tides and strong winds. On an good day
St Clair beach can produce hollow waves. St Kilda, just north of
St Clair has heavy beach breaks as well. Be aware that both these
beaches have recorded great white shark activity.
Fast, hollow and powerful beach and point breaks can be found down
the south coast including Brighton (19 kms south of Dunedin). These
breaks work consistently in the summer months when continuous swells
carry in cold, clear and clean waves.
North of St Clair are several Excellent beach breaks such as Allans
Beach, Sandfly Bay and Smails Beach. Across the harbour entrance
is Aramoana Spit, where The Mole breakwater acts as a stepping off
point for the waves running parallel to it.
Murderers Bay (25 kms north of Dunedin) is reached via Port Chalmers
and will give you a thrilling ride on a right-hand point break in
1 metre swells from the north-east. Further north are Excellent
breaks at Warrington, and Karitane Point.