Overview

Colac Bay is a legendary kitesurfing spot located on the south coast of Southland, New Zealand, about 12 kilometres west of Riverton/Aparima. This spot benefits from the power of the Roaring Forties, those west and southwest winds that sweep the south coast of New Zealand with impressive consistency. It is one of the windiest spots in the country, where the wind often exceeds 30 knots. The main advantage of Colac Bay compared to its neighbour Oreti Beach is the wind orientation: here, conditions are more cross-shore to cross-offshore, which is significantly more favourable and safer for kitesurfing. The bay offers a sandy beach where you can ride in moderate to strong wave conditions depending on the wind direction. The water is warmer than around Dunedin, but a 4/3 full wetsuit remains necessary all year round. The spot is suitable for intermediate to advanced kitesurfers. Beginners should avoid this spot due to the regular wind power and the relative isolation of the area. Colac Bay is also popular for windsurfing and wingfoil. The region offers a wild and pristine natural setting, typical of deep Southland, with breathtaking coastal landscapes. The best season runs from September to March.

Suggest an edit

Spot forecast for Colac Bay

Sunrise 06:44 · Sunset 20:22

Open-Meteo

Premium weather models. Get the professional models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON, MeteoSwiss…) and a 16-day forecast. Without a subscription: Open-Meteo over 5 days.

Go Premium

< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Swell and waves

Swell and tides over 8 days. Premium members see the swell and tides over 8 days. Without a subscription: 5 days.

Go Premium

Wave height: < 0.5 m 0.5–1 m 1–2 m 2–3 m ≥ 3 m

Swell data by Open-Meteo Marine

Tides

Heights above lowest astronomical tide, in the spot's local time. Computed 8.8 km from the spot.

Tuesday 20 October Low tide 02:23 · 0.9 m High tide 08:43 · 2 m Low tide 14:52 · 1 m High tide 21:03 · 2.1 m
Wednesday 21 October Low tide 03:17 · 0.9 m High tide 09:39 · 2.1 m Low tide 15:43 · 0.9 m High tide 21:56 · 2.1 m
Thursday 22 October Low tide 04:06 · 0.8 m High tide 10:26 · 2.2 m Low tide 16:30 · 0.8 m High tide 22:40 · 2.3 m
Friday 23 October Low tide 04:51 · 0.7 m High tide 11:06 · 2.3 m Low tide 17:12 · 0.7 m High tide 23:21 · 2.4 m
Saturday 24 October Low tide 05:34 · 0.6 m High tide 11:44 · 2.4 m Low tide 17:54 · 0.6 m

Colac Bay: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

287h

in September · 26 rideable days

The season runs from September to March, peaking in September: 24 rideable days a month and 287 hours of usable wind, at 15 °C. The low point is July, at 8.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 43%13-20 knots · 46%21-30 knots · 11%31+ knots · under 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 13 and 20 knots — 46% of rideable hours. That is the most versatile range, where most kites work. The coldest month is June, at 10 °C. The wettest month is October, with 242 mm.

Monthly averages: Colac Bay

Monthly averages — Colac Bay — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	23.0	261 h	17 °C	139 mm
February	23.0	267 h	17 °C	113 mm
March	21.5	254 h	15 °C	155 mm
April	18.5	186 h	14 °C	151 mm
May	24.0	240 h	12 °C	106 mm
June	11.5	104 h	10 °C	134 mm
July	8.5	80 h	10 °C	97 mm
August	17.5	171 h	10 °C	116 mm
September	26.0	287 h	11 °C	232 mm
October	25.5	310 h	12 °C	242 mm
November	24.0	285 h	15 °C	161 mm
December	22.5	265 h	16 °C	182 mm

Photo gallery of Colac Bay

This spot is waiting for its first images

Ridden here? One photo or video, and the spot comes alive for everyone discovering it.

Technical details of Colac Bay spot

The spot works with winds from S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW.

Depending on conditions: SSE, NW.

RideableDepending on conditions Not rideable

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Intermediate

Something out of date? Suggest an edit

Live

Currently, there is no weather station at this spot. If you want to change this, help us fund one: Weather Station Project

All the details of your session on windtracker.app

Webcams near Colac Bay

Webcams provided by Windy.com

Nearby spots

All spots: Southland

Comments 0

No comments yet.

Log in to comment

Colac Bay kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spot