WELLINGTON
While Wellington isn’t exactly famous for it’s surf spots, we’ve got consistent breaks for all levels both within the city, and throughout the wider region. Lyall Bay, Houghton Bay, and Titahi Bay are the main local breaks and because they’re inner-city, there’s no secrecy. You’ll find cams for both Lyall and Titahi on surf2surf (paid) and they each come with their perks. Houghton tends to be heavier, steeper and an all-round more advanced wave so not the best for beginners, but with Lyall bay literally just down the road, there’s waves for everyone. Lyall is Wellington city’s main break. It’s a long beach break with a left-hand point peeling off from the airport runway. Best in a Southerly swell with a Northerly wind, there’s usually heavy sets in ‘the corner’ (the airport point break) and as you make your way east across Lyall, the waves are often smaller and fatter (this depends a little on the swell direction, of course). If you catch Titahi on the perfect swell and wind change, you’ll find some amazing quality waves (it’s even known to barrel), but those days are reasonably rare. It’s best with a SE swell and a NW wind, but when it’s good it’s a ‘drop what you’re doing and rush out there’ kind of break.
There are a lot more breaks along the coast both ways, but your best bet is to head towards the Wairarapa. There’s countless well-known and not-so-well-known breaks throughout the region that aren’t hard to find if you do a little digging and exploring, it’s just worth noting that a lot of these breaks are a bit less forgiving than Lyall’s beginner-friendly wave and a lot more remote so make sure you’re prepared and beginners aren’t surfing alone. Oh, and bring your winter wettie, hood, and booties unless you’re surfing in the peak of summer – those southerly swells coupled with the famous Wellington wind make things pretty chilly. If you’ve got any questions or just want a cool crew to surf with, Gurfers in Wellington is always a good place to start.
While Wellington isn’t exactly famous for it’s surf spots, we’ve got consistent breaks for all levels both within the city, and throughout the wider region. Lyall Bay, Houghton Bay, and Titahi Bay are the main local breaks and because they’re inner-city, there’s no secrecy. You’ll find cams for both Lyall and Titahi on surf2surf (paid) and they each come with their perks. Houghton tends to be heavier, steeper and an all-round more advanced wave so not the best for beginners, but with Lyall bay literally just down the road, there’s waves for everyone. Lyall is Wellington city’s main break. It’s a long beach break with a left-hand point peeling off from the airport runway. Best in a Southerly swell with a Northerly wind, there’s usually heavy sets in ‘the corner’ (the airport point break) and as you make your way east across Lyall, the waves are often smaller and fatter (this depends a little on the swell direction, of course). If you catch Titahi on the perfect swell and wind change, you’ll find some amazing quality waves (it’s even known to barrel), but those days are reasonably rare. It’s best with a SE swell and a NW wind, but when it’s good it’s a ‘drop what you’re doing and rush out there’ kind of break.
There are a lot more breaks along the coast both ways, but your best bet is to head towards the Wairarapa. There’s countless well-known and not-so-well-known breaks throughout the region that aren’t hard to find if you do a little digging and exploring, it’s just worth noting that a lot of these breaks are a bit less forgiving than Lyall’s beginner-friendly wave and a lot more remote so make sure you’re prepared and beginners aren’t surfing alone. Oh, and bring your winter wettie, hood, and booties unless you’re surfing in the peak of summer – those southerly swells coupled with the famous Wellington wind make things pretty chilly. If you’ve got any questions or just want a cool crew to surf with, Gurfers in Wellington is always a good place to start.
Sophie Macdonald
Kia ora, my name is Sophie. Like many of the other reps, I didn’t grow up in the region but Wellington is where I’ve surfed the most. I actually grew up in South Canterbury but got into surfing throughout uni and then during my travels overseas, I spent a bit of time surfing in France and Cornwall. When I came back to Aotearoa, I ended up spending a lot of time out at Castlepoint and eventually moved to Wellington. Not long into my time in Wellington, I was introduced to the Gurfers in Wellington Facebook group and that was such a vital lifeline for me and surfing (until then I’d really only surfed with guys).
The Gurfers group has more than tripled in the time since I’ve joined and it’s such a wicked feeling to be out in the water and see other gurfers whether they’re catching their first green waves or absolutely shredding; to be able to help other wāhine get into surfing as a lifestyle is a pretty powerful privilege too. The Gurfers in Wellington community isn’t just about casual surfs together (although we do put emphasis on fun and the good times), we also hold a few events geared toward nurturing women in surfing within our community through training sessions (forecasting, etiquette etc), comps (geared to all abilities), meet-ups and loads more. If you’re in the area, feel free to drop me a line or just join the Facebook group and say hi.
Sophie Macdonald
Kia ora, my name is Sophie. Like many of the other reps, I didn’t grow up in the region but Wellington is where I’ve surfed the most. I actually grew up in South Canterbury but got into surfing throughout uni and then during my travels overseas, I spent a bit of time surfing in France and Cornwall. When I came back to Aotearoa, I ended up spending a lot of time out at Castlepoint and eventually moved to Wellington. Not long into my time in Wellington, I was introduced to the Gurfers in Wellington Facebook group and that was such a vital lifeline for me and surfing (until then I’d really only surfed with guys).
The Gurfers group has more than tripled in the time since I’ve joined and it’s such a wicked feeling to be out in the water and see other gurfers whether they’re catching their first green waves or absolutely shredding; to be able to help other wāhine get into surfing as a lifestyle is a pretty powerful privilege too. The Gurfers in Wellington community isn’t just about casual surfs together (although we do put emphasis on fun and the good times), we also hold a few events geared toward nurturing women in surfing within our community through training sessions (forecasting, etiquette etc), comps (geared to all abilities), meet-ups and loads more. If you’re in the area, feel free to drop me a line or just join the Facebook group and say hi.
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