Para Para Rivermouth Reviews and Ratings

“Hey, don't laugh. Kiwis have surfed Lake Taupo and Pukaki and this spot is pretty sensible by comparison with several times as much fetch; similar in setting to Torbay in England. Lacking any ocean swell exposure it is one of those breaks that only works under rare weather conditions maybe a few times a year and never lasting for more than a few hours.

You need a day of strong to gale wind from an easterly quarter. This only happens when a deep low crosses North Island. Wind waves are generated between the Kapiti Coast and Golden Bay and sneak in under Farewell Spit. They only last a few hours but as the wind changes to the prevailing westerly direction there is a brief window of windswell and offshore wind.

I recently caught it after a night of 40kph NE at about waist to shoulder high and 8-9 second period giving reasonable soft rides on my shortboard. There was even a spongeboarder out that day looking even more desperate than me! With a longboard or SUP, I think the right here would have given respectably long rides. Take care of strong currents as Para Para inlet empties and fills with the tide.

A left on the Collingwood side of the river is smaller but less affected by the current and there are several other boulder point breaks between here and Patons Rock. Every few years a severe easterly gale could actually make these quite reasonable because there is enough fetch for it to get overhead if the wind is over 60kph.”

Rob Davies from NEW ZEALAND - 25 Oct 2011