Tokata Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(East Cape, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Tokata Surf Guide

Tokata in East Cape is an exposed beach and point break that has very consistent surf and works all around the year. Works best in offshore winds from the southwest with some shelter here from northwest winds. Waves can be ok even in light onshore winds Tends to receive distant groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the northeast. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights and there is also a left hand point break. Best around mid tide. A remote wave spot that never gets crowded. Take care of rips and rocks.

Tokata Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach and point	4	very consistent	18.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Tokata:

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

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

aprilBest Season: autumn

The best time of year for surfing Tokata with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of April. Clean surfable waves are typically found 15% of the time in April while 34% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 51% 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

34%

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

too small

51%

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

Explore Tokata Location Map

Interactive Tokata 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 Tokata is Gisborne Airport (GIS) in New Zealand, 122 km (76 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Tokata is Whakatane Airport (WHK), also in New Zealand, 129 km (80 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.

Tokata Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 16:40 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05			Wed
ft, °F	3PM	6PM	9PM	0AM
Wave (m)	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE
Period (s)	9	9	9	9
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	on	cross- on	cross- on	cross- on

What does Tokata look like?

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

Credit: Michelle Credit: Michelle Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies

Tides at Tokata

Current tide and informaton

For Hicks Bay, New Zealand, 2 km from Tokata.

Next High Water: 09:27pm | 2.01m

Next Low Water: 03:44am | 0.63m

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

Tokata Sea Temperature

The Tokata water temperature is reasonably warm (18.3 °C) and the air temperature will similar (windchill forecast 18.0 °C). A good quality summer wetsuit would be ideal.

Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 18.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite