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SURFSPOT
REVIEWS
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This
section has reviews of a number of New Zealand's surfspots. If you want
your local spot to be featured just e-mail a pic and details to us.
All
secret spots will be protected. |
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PORPOISE
BAY
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Deep South. |
DETAILS: Without
a doubt this is the sickest beachie along the shores of New Zealand. The
above photo is what you’d see almost every day, especially in winter. The
swells bend into the half-circled bay and the peaks get bigger the further
up the beach you go. Porpoise can handle very large waves but is often
quite shifty when it’s big. The weather and water is very cold and the
beach often hosts dolphins and huge sharks. This world class beach offers
some of the biggest and longest tubes imaginable.
|
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS: None,
it’s too cold. The Dunno’s boys make regular trips down there. |
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Ocean
View
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Dunedin's
South Coast. |
| DETAILS: Ocean View
is one of Dunedin's most consistant breaks, especially in winter. The best
peak is at the southern end of the beach where a short, intense and sometimes
hollow left with fun sections usually break. The right-hander produces
much longer rides and offers a few barrels, it can be a mission to get
back out after catching the right though. Ocean View is surfed religiously
by a small pack of groms with incredible talent. |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS: Aaron
Buchan, Craig Latimer, Dion Wells, Joseph Ropata, Danny Hellyer, Chris
Thomson, Andrew Meehan. |
|
St
Kilda
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Not far
from St Clair, Dunedin. |
| DETAILS: St Kilda
is known as one of the heaviest beach breaks in the Dunedin. The shorey
can get ridiculously hollow and heavy in very shallow water. Once out past
the shorey and killer currents are the perfect hollow peaks which attract
so many Boogers and Surfers to the beach. The best time of year is probably
summer and maybe the odd day throughout the winter. There are many stories
of epic sized swells being surfed with beyond vertical faces. |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS: Mitchell
Frew, Gareth Gorham, Sam Lelenoa |
|
POTATO
POINT
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Dunedin’s
North Coast. |
| DETAILS: Spud Point
is an extremely long right hand point break, which is perfect for Natural
foot dropkneer. Spuddy’s doesn’t really get to hollow but has fast, long,
workable walls and a very heavy inside air section. It is best surfed on
a medium sized swell from the east. Just out past the point is Pinnacles,
a break which handles serious size (at least 8ft) and is one of the heaviest
breaks in the area. Beware of the mission paddles and the sharks which
are so frequent on the North Coast. |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS: None,
it’s in the wopwops. |
|
BLACKHEAD
BEACH
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Dunedin’s
South Coast. |
| DETAILS: Blackhead
is every Dunedin surfers’ favourite wave. The east swells wrap around the
rocky point and dishes out a very fast, hollow left-hander which where
the main crowd is situated. However not far down the beach there are several
short, hollow peaks to bust off. Blackhead can get heavily crowded at times
and sewage has been a problem in recent years but is currently in a clean
up process. The best time of year to surf perfect Blackhead is from late
spring to early autumn. |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS: Hayden
Parsons. |
|
The
Cove
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Otago Peninsula. |
DETAILS: The Cove
is an extremely sucky, heavy, Kirra-like wave, which only breaks on a large
swell. When the swell is 4-6ft the waves bend over 90 degrees around the
headland at the southern end of Allan’s Beach. When the main city beaches
are 6ft, onshore and closing out, The Cove is often 2-4ft offshore sickness!
There have been numerous
stories of hostile stand-up locals who are quite protective of their local
break. Who would blame them! |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS:
Aidan Dickson. |
|
The
Reef
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Dunedin
area. |
DETAILS: The Reef
is Dunno’s best-kept secret and has only been surfed by a handful of boogers.
Sorry fella’s but I’m not saying a word on it’s where abouts, but it is
in the middle of shark heaven. The lava-bottom break is a long way off
shore and doesn’t break too often but is very “mechanical.”
The wave itself is extremely
fast and intense. The barrels are very hollow and often spit the rider
out into the channel. You may have already seen this break splashed over
the pages of Riptide with Aidan Dickson ripping it up. |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS:
No real “locals.” Just whoever surfs it on a regular basis |
|
Lobsters
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: Just south
of Dunedin. |
DETAILS: Lobby’s
is another epic Dunedin point, located on Dunedin’s outskirts. This break
is a hell of a mission to get to, but it’s worth it with “J-Bay” like waves
being the norm. In the winter Lobby’s can handle some serious size and
breaks very heavily near the point, but breaks quite wide on the larger
days. The wave sometimes barrels right down the point on a good day, but
it mostly has hollow sections to backdoor.
One surf at Lobsters and
you’ll never want to leave- just beware of the sharks and seals! |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS:
Whoever travels there. |
|
Purakanui
Bay
Review
by Hayden Parsons
|
|
| LOCATION: South of
Dunedin. |
DETAILS: “P.K Bay”
is a very consistent break that regularly coughs but peaks of epic proportions.
The wave peaks in the middle of a small, cliff-faced bay with the lefts
proving more hollow and makeable.
P.K Bay is truly one of
the sickest beach breaks around and can handle a large swell. It can often
be flat at low tide but rise to a solid 4ft at high tide. |
| LOCAL BODYBOARDERS:
Casey Keen when he lived there, but otherwise no one. |
|
OCEAN
BEACH
|
|
| LOCATION:
30 minutes Southeast of Whangarei at the Whangarei Heads. |
| DETAILS:
Ocean Beach is an East coast beachbreak over-run by a number
of local bodyboarders. The banks their at not normally of great quality
which results in short, heavy and fast closeout barrel rides which are
awesome for a bodyboarders but surfers hate it. Ocean Beach breaks good
on most swells and is best with a South to Southwest wind. Located over
the hill From "Oceans" is another beachbreak called "Proctors" which can
also get good. |
| LOCAL
BODYBOARDERS: A local crew of John and Matt Diamond, Chris
and Mark Hubbard and Joey Carrol. |
|
MANU
BAY.
|
|
| LOCATION:
Raglan, on the West coast of the North Island. |
DETAILS:
Manu Bay is the first of the three famous Raglan Pointbreaks
and it picks up the least amount of swell of the three point and is usually
the most crowded point. It breaks best on a Southwest swell with a South
to Southeast wind. However it is also rideable on West swells and still
semi-clean with a Southwest wind.
At low tide the break can
peak on the famous Ledge which creates extremely sucky and heavy barrels
- not recommended for beginnners. The waves break on a rock boulder
reef. |
| LOCAL
BODYBOARDERS: Luke McPake, Bayden Barber, Hemi Holden,
Soundz and Paul Meyer. |
|
WHALE
BAY
|
|
| LOCATION:
Raglan, on the West coast of the North Island. |
| DETAILS:
Whale Bay is the second of the three famous Raglan Pointbreaks
and is regarded as the fattest. It breaks best at low tide on a Southwest
swell with a South to Southeast wind. However it is also rideable on West
swells and still semi-clean with a Southwest wind. At high tide the waves
can break extremely close if not on exposed rocks especially on small swells
so extreme care should be taken when surfing it at high tide. The waves
breaks on a rock boulder reef. |
| LOCAL
BODYBOARDERS: The Whale Bay "Boyz" and Grimp Reid |
|
INDICATORS
|
|
| LOCATION:
Raglan, on the West coast of the North Island. |
DETAILS:
Indicators is the third of the three famous Raglan Pointbreaks
and it picks up the most amount of swell of the three points.
It breaks best on a Southwest
swell with a South to Southeast wind and is good on most tides. However
it is also rideable on West swells and still semi-clean with a Southwest
wind. At low tide waves can break through the "Box" which creates
extremely sucky and heavy barrels which are usually not easy to come out
of. The waves break on a rock boulder reef.
Indicators is dominated
by a tight crew of older local surfers who are very competitive and aggressive
for waves so what ever you do if you surf "Indies" is treat the locals
with respect and don't drop in.
Inside of Indicators is
the "Valley" which is avery fast, heavy and down the line wave ideal for
bodyboarding. |
| LOCAL
BODYBOARDERS: Dale Sattler, Luke McPake & Chris Hubbard (sort of). |
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MUFF'S
|
|
| LOCATION:
Unavailable |
| DETAILS:
If you haven't guessed yet, Muffs is a secret spot somewhere
in New Zealand. It is a small slab of Reef located out the back of a beachbreak.
The reef creates very short, fast, heavy and makeable barrels. To break
safely it requires a small clean swell of between 1 to 4ft with an offshore
wind. A sick little wave but it is a mission to find. |
| LOCAL
BODYBOARDERS: None. |
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