Overview

Waitara is a kitesurfing spot located on the north coast of Taranaki, east of New Plymouth, on New Zealand's North Island. The spot is at the mouth of the Waitara River, offering a mix of river and ocean conditions. The beach is exposed to Tasman Sea swells.

The prevailing winds come from the southwest to northwest. The spot is suitable for intermediate kitesurfers thanks to the estuary area which offers calmer waters than the open ocean. Access is easy from the town of Waitara. A wetsuit is necessary year-round.

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Spot forecast for Waitara

Sunrise 06:29 · Sunset 19:46

Open-Meteo

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< 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.

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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 5.9 km from the spot.

Tuesday 20 October High tide 05:35 · 2.6 m Low tide 11:48 · 1.3 m High tide 18:10 · 2.8 m
Wednesday 21 October Low tide 00:31 · 1.3 m High tide 06:44 · 2.7 m Low tide 12:50 · 1.2 m High tide 19:09 · 2.9 m
Thursday 22 October Low tide 01:25 · 1.1 m High tide 07:39 · 2.8 m Low tide 13:42 · 1.1 m High tide 19:57 · 3.1 m
Friday 23 October Low tide 02:11 · 0.9 m High tide 08:24 · 3 m Low tide 14:28 · 0.9 m High tide 20:40 · 3.2 m
Saturday 24 October Low tide 02:53 · 0.7 m High tide 09:05 · 3.2 m Low tide 15:10 · 0.7 m High tide 21:19 · 3.4 m

Waitara: 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

329h

in October · 27.5 rideable days

The season runs from September to December, peaking in October: 26 rideable days a month and 329 hours of usable wind, at 17 °C. The low point is July, at 11.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 53%13-20 knots · 43%21-30 knots · 5%31+ knots · under 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 53% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is July, at 13 °C. The wettest month is July, with 286 mm.

Monthly averages: Waitara

Monthly averages — Waitara — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	19.5	175 h	22 °C	114 mm
February	23.5	199 h	22 °C	57 mm
March	24.0	232 h	20 °C	73 mm
April	14.5	126 h	19 °C	215 mm
May	16.5	132 h	16 °C	136 mm
June	14.5	123 h	14 °C	174 mm
July	11.5	77 h	13 °C	286 mm
August	17.0	153 h	14 °C	168 mm
September	26.5	310 h	14 °C	144 mm
October	27.5	329 h	16 °C	200 mm
November	25.0	283 h	18 °C	106 mm
December	25.0	297 h	20 °C	143 mm

Photo gallery of Waitara

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Technical details of Waitara spot

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

Depending on conditions: N, S, NNW.

RideableDepending on conditions Not rideable

Spot opening date · Required level

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

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Live

NEW PLYMOUTH AIRPORT AWS4.4 kmsource WIS2 - WMO

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Additional stations

Ogimet - New Plymouth Aws (New Zealand)5 km

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source ogimet

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Webcams near Waitara

Webcams provided by Windy.com

Nearby spots

All spots: Taranaki

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Waitara kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spot