Wainui Beach – Whales Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Gisborne and Mahia, New Zealand)

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

Wainui Beach - Whales Surf Guide

Wainui Beach - Whales in Gisborne and Mahia is an exposed beach and reef break that is usually a safe bet and works all around the year. Offshore winds blow from the north northwest. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the south southeast. The beach break provides left and right handers. Best around mid tide when the tide is rising. When the surf is up, it can get quite busy in the water. Beware of rips and rocks.

Wainui Beach - Whales Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach and reef	5	very consistent	16.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Wainui Beach - Whales:

The best conditions reported for surf at Wainui Beach - Whales occur when a South-southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North-northwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Wainui Beach - Whales (for consistent clean waves)?

aprilBest Season: spring

The best time of year for surfing Wainui Beach - Whales with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Spring and most often the month of April. Clean surfable waves are typically found 50% of the time in April while 49% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 1% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

50%

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

blown out

49%

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

too small

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

Explore Wainui Beach - Whales Location Map

Interactive Wainui Beach - Whales 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 Wainui Beach - Whales is Gisborne Airport (GIS) in New Zealand, 10 km (6 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Wainui Beach - Whales is Whakatane Airport (WHK), also in New Zealand, 133 km (83 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.

Wainui Beach - Whales Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Thursday, 7 May 2026, 21:07 Local Time

m, °C	Thu	Friday 08
ft, °F	9PM	0AM	3AM	6AM
Wave (m)	SSE	E	E	SSW
Period (s)	14	9	9	13
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	off	off	off	off

What does Wainui Beach - Whales look like?

Latest photos from Wainui Beach - Whales. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

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

Tides at Wainui Beach - Whales

Current tide and informaton

For Gisborne, New Zealand, 7 km from Wainui Beach - Whales.

Next High Water: 10:09pm | 1.76m

Next Low Water: 04:31am | 0.72m

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

Wainui Beach - Whales Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feels like 20.0 °C) at Wainui Beach - Whales, yet the sea remains several degrees colder than the air. Most surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 16.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite