Photo: Tim Marshall / UnsplashAll-level beach breaks, 3/2–5/4+ water by season, quiet nomad scene.
surf-townlaid-backremote-rustic
Data updated
At a glance
Peak seasonYear-round95% surfable at peak
SuitsAll levels1 known spot
Boardlongboard · bothbeach
Water10.2–17.3°C3/2–5/4+ most of the year
Internet169 Mbpsmedian download · Ookla
Cost / mo$2,500+all-in, estimated
Where you'll surf — and work, eat, train
1 spot within 25 km · 1 with own season dataspot in season nowout of seasonno dot — no per-spot season data
Hazardsripsremote
Spot details
- Graveyard Surfbeach0 km
3 cafés · 1 gymPowered by Google — ratings and maps are live from Google Maps. SurfBase doesn't edit or rank the reviews.
All places (4)
Cafés3 listed
- Chiwis CafeView on Google
- Sime's KitchenView on Google
- The Caves Kaikoura CafeView on Google
Gyms1 listed
- Central Fitness Kaikoura - Kaikoura's GymView on Google
The surf year
Best window Year-round · 12 months above 60% surfable days, averaging 92%Surfable days by month · intermediateBest window Year-round · % of days with rideable surf, ERA5 2015–2024
95peak · Feb
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Swell
midmidmidmidmidmidmidmidmidmidmidmid
Wind ok
90%90%95%94%98%94%96%95%93%95%93%92%
Water
17°17°16°15°13°12°11°10°11°12°14°16°
Barsless surfablemore
Water4/3 wetsuit13–16°3/2 wetsuit17–19°5/4+ hoodedunder 13°
How we compute this
Computed from hourly ERA5 / ERA5-Ocean reanalysis (2015–2024): swell reaching this coast × wind quality × size for the chosen level, over daylight hours. Sea temperature 2023–2025.model v3 · computed 2026-09-22 · no forecast — a historical climatologyFull methodology
Surfable days by level, month by month
| Level | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 75% | 71% | 58% | 65% | 58% | 53% | 50% | 54% | 62% | 74% | 79% | 79% |
| Intermediate | 93% | 95% | 95% | 92% | 88% | 94% | 92% | 94% | 89% | 95% | 87% | 88% |
| Advanced | 71% | 78% | 87% | 81% | 78% | 87% | 88% | 85% | 73% | 72% | 59% | 66% |
Compare towns by month:Surf in JanuarySurf in FebruarySurf in MarchSurf in AprilSurf in MaySurf in JuneSurf in JulySurf in AugustSurf in SeptemberSurf in OctoberSurf in NovemberSurf in December
Working from here
median 169 Mbps · no known coworking · from $1,420 a month · leans quietInternet speedmedian download · Ookla169 Mbps
Coworking spacesknown in OpenStreetMap0
Quiet ↔ Party10 / 100
Rent rangework-ready studio, monthly · USD$1,420–$2,700
Month all-inrent + living, modeled · USD≈ $2,500–$4,150
Estimated — modeled, not sourcedFind a place to stay
Monthly-stay searches for Kaikōura District.We link out — we don't book. Prices and availability live on Agoda, Booking.com and Airbnb. Some links may earn SurfBase a commission — the advice stays free and unchanged.
Getting there
Nearest airportWellington International Airport
CodeWLG
Distance140 km
Towns like Kaikōura District
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beginner · intermediate · beach · peak Mar–Nov
San ClementeUnited States
beginner · intermediate · beach · peak Year-round- Ciudad Morelos, Mexico10,891 km · 98% peak · $820/mo
- Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, Canada11,776 km · 83% peak · $1,320/mo
- Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, France10,565 km · 92% peak · $1,180/mo
- Hu'u, Indonesia6,537 km · 98% peak · $650/mo
- Noosa Heads, Australia2,581 km · 78% peak · $1,460/mo
- Imbituba, Brazil11,059 km · 89% peak · $770/mo
- Adeje, Spain18,172 km · 70% peak · $1,060/mo
- Artemida Municipal Unit, Greece17,412 km · 5% peak · $960/mo
Sources & confidence
AI-seeded · not yet human-checkedSee the full methodology for how every figure is computed.Town references: osm · openwateratlas · wikidata · open-meteo · osm-coworking · ourairports · ookla · google-places · open-meteo-skill · osm-poi · ookla-wifi · wb-price-level
Updated 2026-09-22Suggest a correction