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First off, go and have a look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagundri_Bay
This is where we should all be, and just to enforce this opinion as fact, I have attached a pic of a friend surfing the wave. GO NEIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note the attire worn, ease of paddling and swell size needed for it to work.)
OK, NZ surfing.
I have been confined to Christchurch and the occasional trip to Kaikoura (about 3hrs drive north of Christchurch). The best way to get your head around surfing in NZ is to go to www.surf2surf.co.nz .This is where I get my daily surf reports, and guide to spots, from. I also went to the public library and took out a book on NZ surf spots.
From friends and acquaintances I've heard that on the South island:
- Magnet Bay (70km from Christchurch, on the Banks Peninsula) gets good, but found it flat as a lake the day I went there.
- Dunedin gets the best, and most frequent, swell and there are a multitude of spots to choose from. But it is cold and they say the sharks tend to go there (which I don't believe for a second).
- The West Coast (which is a bit less civilized) often gets wild, heavier breaks that the locals describe as "grunty". I take this to mean "moderately dangerous" or in surf terms - solid and heavy. Greymouth and Westport are the two names of towns that have popped up - but I haven't been to either.
- Christchurch itself gets tiny, weak waves that tend to disappoint more than stoke any surfer who has actually stood up on a wave - but it is good for keeping the shoulders loose and staying fit.
- Kaikoura features a place called Mangamanu Point, a right-hand point break with super-easy entry that picks up most South swell and becomes epic when it reaches anything above 4 ft. Also ideal for the grommits (Caila enjoyed a few waves there) and floormats not into dumping beach breaks. (Pics of a small day at the point can be found on our blog). Also, while in Kaikoura, do yourself the favour of going for a dolphin experience, where you get to swim with a huge pod of wild Dusky dolphins. We found it to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I have no idea about things on the North Island, and will only be able to comment on that at a later time.
Generally on the East coast of the South island you want Southerly swells and North - NE winds (warm and offshore). The best time of year for surfing is autumn (now), but winter is close and it will become very, very cold outside of the water. The water temp itself varies between 10 and 13 degrees, which is similar to Cape Town, SA. Tolerable, but you need a decent steamer - booties also help.
From the waves I've surfed so far I would say that a smaller (but buoyant) board will suit the conditions best. I've been getting the final legs out of my 6'6 2001 Birthday pressie - shaped by Anton Butler! She's been snapped clean a few times, but still handles well. Some of the locals ride thick-railed fish, with 4 skegs at the back, and swear by them. If you have a boat (mini-mal or longboard), bring it for those tiny, weak days.
This is the extent of my current knowledge of NZ surfing (well, kind of).
