Shades Beach
Otago · New Zealand
Rating right now
A october–april beach on the Tasman Sea near Otago, Shades Beach is exposed to S swell — SE–SW on the forecast is when it lights up, ideally with a NW–NE wind.
Today's surf at Shades Beach
Updated 14:26 spot time
Shades Beach surf report for Friday 2 Oct: waves 1.5 m–2.0 m double overhead+, 1.5 m SSW swell at 7.85 s. Wind up to 45 km/h NW. Water 11°C. Best surf window around 22:00 — fun (3/5) with 35 km/h WSW wind.
Snapshot refreshed hourly — the live hourly forecast below updates in real time.
10-day forecast
Local time · updates hourly
Wave height & period
Wind
| Time | Rating | Waves | Swell | Wind | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water temperature by month
This month: ~11.4°C (52.5°F) on average
Jan
13.9°C
57°F · 9.7–16.7°C
Feb
14.4°C
57.9°F · 12.7–18.6°C
Mar
14.3°C
57.7°F · 12.3–17°C
Apr
13.3°C
55.9°F · 11.5–15.7°C
May
12.5°C
54.5°F · 11.3–14.6°C
Jun
11.4°C
52.5°F · 10.2–13.1°C
Jul
10.6°C
51.1°F · 9.2–12.6°C
Aug
10.4°C
50.7°F · 9.2–11.5°C
Sep
11°C
51.8°F · 9.7–11.8°C
Oct
11.4°C
52.5°F · 10.3–12.8°C
Nov
12.6°C
54.7°F · 11.1–15.4°C
Dec
13.3°C
55.9°F · 11.8–15.3°C
25-year monthly averages from the NOAA OISST satellite record — typical range min–max, not a live reading.
Know before you go
Best swell
SE–SW
Best wind
NW–NE
Break type
Beach break
Best season
October–April
Safety: Friendly by surf standards, but rip currents and drop-in etiquette still apply. Shifting sandbars create moving rip currents — learn to spot them and use them to get out back.
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