Desperation Point Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Taranaki, New Zealand)

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- 16 Day Forecast
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Desperation Point Surf Guide

Desperation Point in Taranaki is an exposed beach break that has quite reliable surf. Spring and Summer provide the favoured conditions. Offshore winds are from the east northeast. Windswells and groundswells in equal measure and the ideal swell direction is from the southwest. There are left and right breaking reefs. The quality of the surf isn't affected by the tide. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Take care of rocks in the line up.

Desperation Point Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	4	fairly consistent	16.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Desperation Point:

The best conditions reported for surf at Desperation Point occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East-northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Desperation Point (for consistent clean waves)?

augustBest Season: autumn

The best time of year for surfing Desperation Point with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of August. Clean surfable waves are typically found 27% of the time in August while 55% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 18% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

27%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

55%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

18%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Desperation Point Location Map

Interactive Desperation Point surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Desperation Point is New Plymouth Airport (NPL) in New Zealand, 58 km (36 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Desperation Point is Wanganui Airport (WAG), also in New Zealand, 114 km (71 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Desperation Point Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 02:37 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	3AM	6AM	9AM	12PM
Wave (m)	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW
Period (s)	12	12	12	13
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross	cross- on

Tides at Desperation Point

Current tide and informaton

For Opunake Bay, New Zealand, 1 km from Desperation Point.

Next High Water: 11:37am | 2.92m

Next Low Water: 05:34am | 0.67m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Desperation Point Sea Temperature

The water temperature (16.8 °C) at Desperation Point is quite cool. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good sealed spring wetsuit. Some surfers would prefer to wear gloves and boots too. Effective windchill factor of (12.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, neoprene gloves and boots.