Tītahi Bay

Tītahi Bay faces northwest across Cook Strait toward the top of the South Island, so it needs a NW swell that has travelled past Farewell Spit and into the strait with enough size to reach the beach intact. Those days are rare, which is exactly why the Wellington surf community treats it as an event when it lands, and on its best days it can barrel. The main beach break suits all levels over sand with multiple peaks. The northern point, Fishmans and Slipperies, throws hollow right-handers on a bigger swell, while the southern point, Pete's Rock, is a gnarly, rocky, hollow left for experienced surfers who know the entry.

It is a proud community beach in Porirua, twenty-five minutes north of Wellington, lined with a famous row of brightly painted heritage boatsheds and watched closely by locals who show up fast when the forecast aligns. Tītahi pairs with Lyall Bay across the city: the two face opposite ways, so the wind that ruins one often grooms the other, and Wellington surfers who know both can usually find something clean on a swell day. These rare days tend to spread by word of mouth among the local crew rather than across forecast websites, so getting onto the contact list is half the battle.

• Check both Tītahi and Lyall Bay on any swell day, because they face opposite directions, so a SE wind that has Lyall onshore is offshore at Tītahi, and knowing both means you can almost always find a clean face somewhere.
• On the main beach work the multiple sand peaks for the cleaner shoulders, while the bigger swells are what wake up Fishmans and Slipperies on the north point for hollow rights, so size your board and your spot to the day.
• Mind the boatsheds and the tight local crew when it is on, so park considerately, keep the heritage boatsheds clear and respect the people who have surfed this rare wave for years.

• Most days here are flat or small and the wave only switches on when a NW swell pushes through Cook Strait, so do not make the trip without confirming the swell has genuinely arrived.
• Both points break over and beside rock, with Fishmans and Slipperies at the north and Pete's Rock at the south demanding committing entries, so learn the layout before you take one on.
• Pete's Rock is for experts only, a hollow left with a rocky entry and a fast take-off, so watch a few sets and make an honest call on your rock-surfing before you paddle out, because it is not for cautious intermediates.
• It draws a crowd fast when it fires and there are swimmers in summer too, so know your priority, hold your line and respect the regulars in a busy lineup.

Getting there

Tītahi Bay is a coastal suburb of Porirua, about 25 km (25 minutes) north of Wellington city via SH1. Follow the road through Porirua to the bay and park along the foreshore.

Parking

Roadside parking along the Tītahi Bay foreshore and by the boat ramp. Walk to the main beach, or toward the points at either end.

Toilets & showers

Public toilets at the Tītahi Bay beach and the surf club. A community beach patrolled in summer; bring water for a rinse.

Shops, cafes & fuel

Tītahi Bay village has a small shopping strip with cafes and a store. Porirua city, five minutes away, has malls, supermarkets and fuel.

Accommodation

Being suburban Wellington, the options are Airbnb and baches in Tītahi Bay, plus motels in Porirua and the full range in Wellington, 25 minutes south.

Camping

No camping at Tītahi Bay; it is a residential suburb and freedom camping is restricted across the Wellington and Porirua urban area. Base in Wellington or use a regional holiday park.