Sponge Bay.

A compact reefy beachbreak tucked into a small bay between Gisborne city and Wainui, producing slow, forgiving peaks across an uneven reef and sand bottom. The eastern end of the bay holds a left that wraps along a flanking point, while the western end features a right reef section known locally as The Rock - a separate, more demanding wave. The main beach peaks are wally and slow-rolling, with steep but manageable takeoffs that suit developing surfers. Needs a solid S or SE swell to activate, as the bay sits in a partial shadow from easterly energy. Dead offshore in a NE sea breeze, which makes it a go-to option when the main Gisborne beaches like Wainui and Makorori are blown out by onshore northeasterlies. Rides are short at under 50 metres. The reef is uneven with submerged rocks, so awareness of the bottom is important on lower tides. The lineup is almost always empty - Gisborne locals tend to favour Wainui or Stockroute when conditions line up, leaving Sponge Bay as a quiet fallback with forgiving waves and minimal pressure.

Slow peaks across uneven reef when Wainui gets blown out by nor'east.