Nugget Point Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Catlins, New Zealand)

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Spot Information

Nugget Point Surf Guide

Nugget Point in Catlins is a sheltered beach break that has fairly consistent surf The best wind direction is from the west southwest. Windswells and groundswells in equal measure and the ideal swell direction is from the south southeast. Waves at the beach break both left and right. 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 sharks/rips.

Nugget Point Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	4	fairly consistent	13.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Nugget Point:

The best conditions reported for surf at Nugget Point occur when a South-southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West-southwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

juneBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Nugget Point with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of June. Clean surfable waves are typically found 28% of the time in June while 7% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 65% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

28%

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

blown out

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

too small

65%

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

Explore Nugget Point Location Map

Interactive Nugget 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 Nugget Point is Dunedin Airport (DUD) in New Zealand, 65 km (40 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Nugget Point is Invercargill Airport (IVC), also in New Zealand, 115 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.

Nugget Point Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 01:48 Local Time

m, °C	Tue	Wednesday 06
ft, °F	9PM	0AM	3AM	6AM
Wave (m)	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Period (s)	15	15	15	15
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross	cross- off

What does Nugget Point look like?

Latest photos from Nugget Point. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Peter Crowley

Tides at Nugget Point

Current tide and informaton

For Nugget Point, New Zealand, 1 km from Nugget Point.

Next High Water: 05:28am | 2.17m

Next Low Water: 11:50am | 1.05m

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

Nugget Point Sea Temperature

The water temperature (13.3 °C) at Nugget 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.