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Happy Jacks break guidePhoto by: Rob Davies

Happy Jacks Surf Guide

Happy Jacks in Gisborne and Mahia is an exposed reef and point break that has quite reliable surf and can work at any time of the year. Offshore winds are from the west and there is no shelter here from cross shore breezes. Still reasonable in light onshore winds Clean groundswells prevail and the best swell direction is from the northeast. There is no beach break and there are also left and right hand reef breaks on offer. Surfable at all stages of the tide. Crowds are never a problem here. Take care to avoid the rocks.

Happy Jacks Spot Info

Type:Rating:
Icon reef  redReef and pointIcon  s0
Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
fairly consistent
15.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Happy Jacks:

The best conditions reported for surf at Happy Jacks occur when a Northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West.

Surf Forecasts:

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

januaryBest Season: summer
The best time of year for surfing Happy Jacks with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 15% of the time in January while 30% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 55% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
15%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
30%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
55%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Happy Jacks Location Map

Interactive Happy Jacks 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 Happy Jacks is Gisborne Airport (GIS) in New Zealand, 39 km (24 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Happy Jacks is Whakatane Airport (WHK), also in New Zealand, 148 km (92 miles) away.

Icon breakBreak
Icon legend buoysLive Wave Height (m)
Icon legend windLive Wind Speed (km/h)
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Map placeholder
Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Happy Jacks Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Saturday, 10 June 2023, 09:53 Local Time
Saturday 10
9AM12PM3PM6PM
Wave (m)
2.3
ESE
2.3
ESE
2.2
ESE
2.3
ESE
Period (s) 9 9 9 9
Wind (km/h)
25
25
20
20
Wind State cross-
on
cross-
on
cross cross

Swell History at Happy Jacks

Surf stats for Happy Jacks, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Happy Jacks

Wind stats for Happy Jacks, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

Discover surf breaks near Happy Jacks. Click below to view there surf guides.


Wave Buoys Nearest To Happy Jacks:

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Nearby location  blueNearest