The Ultimate Guide to Gisborne Surf

Hicks Bay

Hicks Bay is pretty much the first long stretch of sand that forms under the rugged edge at the tip of the East Cape. That means it’s the farthest of the northern breaks listed here from Gisborne town – you’re looking at about three hours in the car. It might just be worth it, though. The reason? How does totally empty line ups sound – not many people bar a few locals are willing to trek this far for what’s on offer. What is on offer is a nice right-hand point that comes off the south end of the beach on strong SE swells in the middle of the wintertime and a series of uber-mellow beginner waves that break on the inside of the bay.

Waipiro Bay

There’s about five miles of surfable coast at Waipiro Bay. But it’s not just peaky beach breaks a la Hossegor. This one crumples into little dashes of rock reef now and then. Other times it’s cut through by a river that drifts into the Pacific and creates lines of sandbanks as it goes. You could spend hours trawling the main beach for spots, and some are worth it because they hold fantastic quality. We’d recommend waiting for strong SE pulses, though, which is when this one really comes into its own.

If you aren’t in the mood to go hunting then stick to the south part of Waipiro Bay. There’s a cluster of named breaks there that tend to draw the crowds. Most are upper intermediate+ but there is Kitties, a more chilled inside break on the secondary swell that’s suitable for loggers. Outside is Frog Rock, a short, sharp right on reef that gets very shallow very fast – experienced surfers only.

Tokomaru Bay

We’re convinced that Three Points would be up there with the best breaks in NZ if it wasn’t so darn hard to get to. Sadly, private land – something Kiwis take pretty seriously – means you need permission to paddle out. If you have that, lucky you. Look forward to a real wrap-around hit of swell that acts more like a Californian point, peeling along a curved headland to give multiple take-off zones and truly rippable shoulders. The place can handle virtually any swell size because you can just slide further inside the bay to cut things down a notch.

Three Points

The height of the winter season with the strongest SE swell channels firing can mean it works at the top end of Tokomaru Bay. Go north to where the sand turns to black pebbles and you’ll find a dash of reef that gets covered at high tide. It plumps up a nice shoulder that quickly changes into a hollow right hander for fast rights and occasional pits.

Tolaga Bay

Tolaga Bay has a mushy beach break to entertain the learners but the money break here is the rivermouth. It’s a lippy sandbar that works with decent head-high size and long periods in the SE winter swell. There’s also a right near the pier at the south end of the bay where the wind is more commonly offshore. The break there can get busy because folk use the jetty to escape the paddle.

Waihau Bay

Swell-magnet Waihau Bay suffers from over-exposure most of the time, especially in the winter when the SW winds aren’t offshore. Smaller days can offer ankle burners for the hotdoggers in these parts provided that there’s not too much wind. You can also scour the beach for the little reef pockets where shapely, sometimes-hollow breaks can occur if there’s loads of size. This one should be working when the rest of the Gisborne surf is blown out, so bear it in mind for the summer days.

North Makorori Reef

The lefts that form on the rocks of the North Makorori Reef are generally reserved for the loggers of Gisborne. They’re mellow and super cruisy. If you’ve got the 8-footer+ strapped on the roof then this should be your chosen playground, although getting in early can be key to avoid the crowd (a crowd which actually shows rare bouts of localism for NZ on occasion).

Makorori Point

The point is the sister break of the North Makrori Reef. It’s a right and it’s similarly tailored to folk with an extra foot or five on the fiberglass. Gets busy but is probably worth it if the malibu is the stick in the trunk, as we’d put it down as the best cruiser wave in the Gisborne region. You’re looking at long, fat shoulders to ride however you please.

Wainui

There’s basically never an off day from fall to spring in Wainui. Consistency is the key here on a long stretch of sand that delivers okay-ish beach break sets that are beefy, strong, and occasionally rippable both left and right. They do lack some shape but the payoff is you know it’s always on. Watch out for the punchier sections of reef that can sometimes come into play on more full tides. They’re good waves but more intermediate that much of the rest of the beach and can shock surfers not used to having rock underfoot.

There are about five named breaks up and down the length of Wainui but there’s no doubt that Stock Route is the best of them. It’s a tubular little runner that offers hollow sections on bigger swells. A truly world-class right when it’s on.

Sponge Bay

Uber-fun Sponge Bay turns on the good with strong south swell that can refract enough through the outlying islands to give power in the middle of the beach. Still, the premier draws are the left and the right at opposite ends of the bay. The left – which breaks on the east side – is the best. It’s a mellowish peeler that sections into frothing bits and glassy walls. Overall, the beach is good for its accessibility and suitability for all levels.

Tuamotu Island

If you don’t have the paddle power of some Hawaiian duke then don’t even both thinking about crossing to Tuamotu Island. It’s a hefty journey of about 1km through the rips that pass south of Sponge Bay. On big days the reward is a gnarly left that can be hollow. It’s expert-only and great for escaping crowds. But…expert only.

The Cliff

A shifty left-hand point breaks at The Cliff right in front of the yacht club in eastern Gisborne. It’s a good starter wave to prime you for the bigger and better breaks of the region, offering long, sometimes cruisy rides from take-off to beach.

Waikanae Beach

Start here if you’re coming to Gisborne to learn how to surf. Knee-high breakers usually roll into Waikanae Beach and it’s right by the city center and the surf rental shops. This is where the schools will usually ply their trade, on sand-pebble stretches that are uber-forgiving and mushier than a NZ sourdough that’s been left in the snow.

Gizzy Pipe/Midway Pipe

Not called pipe because it’s anything like the North Shore’s Pipeline, sadly. Nope, this one gets its name because it’s where the municipal sewerage line meets the ocean. Still, that’s been a magnet for silt and sandbars, which now offer changing shoulders that can even creep up to hollow tube lines when it’s heavy in the winter.