Lucky you heading to Gisborne to surf the famous Wainui Beach! One of the best and most consistent beach breaks in New Zealand and home to some of the best surfers. Wainui (and Okitu Beach which is continuous with Wainui north past the surf club) has a bunch of different main spots that give plenty of surfing options just a short drive out of Gisborne City.
If you're heading through town on the way to Wainui Beach call in to Gisborne's best and oldest core surf shop, Blitz Surf Shop, at 34 Wainui Road for any surfing advice or equipment. Or check out our friends at GoodSurfNow for a detailed, NZ owned, surf forecasting website (and live cameras around NZ).
This guide is aimed at our welcome surfing visitors (manuhiri) to give a bit of a lowdown of the main named surf breaks along Wainui and Okitu Beaches. Pretty much any part of this stretch of beach can have a breaking wave on its day and there are plenty of made up names for other spots but these are the main spots and will help you if a local gives you some local surf break advice
Safety
The Main Named Surf Spots From South To North
Cooper Street
The most southern named surf spot on this list. People like pro surfers Maz and Jay Quinn and their national champ sister Holly Quinn cut their teeth around this area. On the right swell can get quality barreling waves. Best in NE and East swells, more southerly swells often push past here due to the geography. When it is breaking from a south direction swell the waves will be smaller than further up the beach. To find Cooper Street, turn right down Pare street just by the Stockroute carpark or just park up at Stockroute.
Best winds NW and west but also cleaner than other spots on a SW wind.
Stockroute
Aptly named as many years ago farmers used to drove their stock around the coast to town from this area. Not possible now with erosion and physical changes to the area.
Stockroute is one of the more well known spots and the first break you'll come to when you turn into Wainui Beach off SH35. Turn down Oneroa Road and it is straight in front of you after you pass Zephyr Wainui Cafe. There is a carpark and public toilet right at the top of the beach access where you can head down and hopefully score some world class A-frame barrels on the right day.
Best with any swell with some east in it but depending on the banks can even have waves with a southerly swell but will generally be smaller than spots further north if the swell is from this direction. The quality of the surf, like the rest of the beach, will depend entirely on the sand bank build up. Offshore mainly NW and westerly winds. Can get crowded with good surfers if it is pumping but you'll still get waves if you are patient..
No Access
This is the next beach access north of Stockroute on Wainui Road (there is access!). Our live Wainui Beach Surf camera points at this part of the beach. So if you consider the location and geography (refer to the map of Wainui above) you can work out swell and wind direction for the rest of Gisborne beaches just by checking our free live camera.
There's a swing set and seesaw here for the kids to play on while you go and check the surf at the top of the stairs. Good views of the surf from Cooper Street all the way north to Pines from the top of the stairs.
Another spot that is heavily bank, swell and wind dependent but can produce world class barrels, fat waves or closeouts. If you strike it on you won't be disappointed. Pretty much any tide can be surfed at any part of the beach in Gisborne and it just depends on local conditions on the day. Expect more powerful waves mid-low tide, softer, fuller waves toward high tide.
Schools
The Schools surf break is almost one and the same with No Access just a few hundred metres up the road. Named schools as it is the closest beach access to Wainui Beach School. Schools will produce similar conditions to No Access and you can surf it from waist high to over double overhead if conditions are right.
Empty Section/Teddy's
The next beach access up from Schools is the Empty Section. This area is also called Teddy's by some locals as local surfing legend Teddy Colbert lived in the house above the break for a long time. Probably not surfed as often as Schools or No Access but breaks in similar conditions. You can get really powerful waves in this area, even when the surf is not so big so make sure you respect your ability before paddling out. Conditions can change quickly between tides dependent on the sand build up, it can go from world class to rubbish in a short time period. Any swell direction can cause good waves to form here.
Pines
The large carpark with the Pine trees just past Wainui Surf Lifesaving Club. This is an epic spot to park up and watch Gizzy's top surfers charging when the surf is heaving. One of the few spots along Wainui/Okitu that can handle double to triple overhead waves when conditions are suitable. Pines can sometimes have a high tide shorebreak wave or heaving freight train barrels from way out the back. If the swell is from the east or northeast make sure you do a long walk north past the rocks before you paddle out or you'll go flying south in the gutter past the carpark before you even get out. Expect some brutal paddling sessions when it gets serious. Can be tricky at times but very rewarding. The local bodyboarders love charging pits out at Pines when it is on too.
White Fence
Part way up Moana Road between Pines and the Chalet there is a driveway and small carpark that serve the White Fence surfbreak. You can't see the waves here from the road so you need to either check it from here or from the Chalet carpark. Quite a fickle spot because of the amount of sand movement and often times deep water out here but can absolutely pump.
Much bigger up this end on a south or southeast swell than down the Wainui end of the beach. Can hold good sized waves and generally breaks best when the surf is bigger.
The Chalet
The Chalet surf break is named after the now defunct Chalet Rendezvous Restaurant. Opened by a Swiss national couple in 1957 as a restaurant and accommodation. This iconic building is still there as a private residence and rentals but the restaurant is sadly long gone.
Lone Pine
Just up the road a bit further from the Chalet. You can get swept up here form the Chalet in a south swell. Park on the open grass area by the pine tree for beach access and to check the surf. Another spot that is not effected as badly by winds from the north as elsewhere. Expect similar conditions as the Chalet. A bit fickle but can pump.
Whales
Aptly named spot at the northern end of Wainui Beach situated in the locality of a sperm whale grave.
On the 18th of March 1970 a pod of 59 Sperm Whales beached themselves in this area. Some on the sharp rocks of the headland. Locals recall the sea being red with blood. None of the Whales were able to be rescued and a grave 150m long, 10m wide and 5m deep was dug to bury them. This area is a memorial to the dead whales to this day.
This area has a mix of sand and rock. It is not the most consistent surf spot but can get really fun waves from time to time, pretty much from any swell direction, depending on the sand build up at the time. More sheltered than other spots form the northerly and NE winds so can be an option when the rest of the beach is blown out. Often expect slightly fatter waves here than around Pines or the Chalet. It very rarely barrels but you can get nice, long open faces in the right conditions. A bit sheltered from North east winds by the Makorori Headland so it gives you an option when other spots are completely blown out.
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Makanui Reef
The last bit of rocky area at the north end of Okitu at the base of the Makorori Headland. Its rarely surfed, To be fair its rarely good. But every dog has its day and you never know you might just happen on the once in a blue moon conditions and score yourself a bit of a wave from here. You'll see if it has any waves just before you head over the hill to Makorori Beach.
Conclusion
Wainui Beach can be a surfer's dream spot. When its on its really on. Easily accessible from Gisborne and just a short bit of driving to check all the spots on the beach. This area gets consistent swell year round, generally a bit smaller in summer, a bit bigger in the winter. The water and air temperatures around here can get pretty cold in the winter months and you should expect to be in a 4/3mm steamer at the very least, possibly even wetsuit boots, wetsuit hood and/or wetsuit gloves. In the summer months, especially January and February you might be lucky enough to get to surf in boardshorts with water temperatures around 21-22 degrees.
Come to the number 1 core surf shop in GIsborne, Blitz Surf Shop, for any local surfing knowledge or equipment. Or follow us on Instagram or Facebook for regular surf and product updates.
