Frenches Reef.

Frenches Reef is a left-hand reef break positioned near Monkey Island on the Southland coast, where the edge of the settled coastline meets the vast wilderness of Fiordland. The wave breaks over uneven reef on large S swells, producing rides of 50 to 100 metres when conditions align. Mid tide on an incoming push is the window - too low and the reef is dangerously exposed, too high and the wave loses form. S swell is optimal with the wider S to W window also producing surf, and easterly winds hold the face clean. Wave size ranges from 3 to 1.8m with the quality rated good. The spot sits in a genuinely beautiful stretch of Southland coast - Te Waewae Bay stretches out with beachbreak options, and the massive area of virgin breaks in Fiordland lies just to the west for those with the equipment and experience to explore further. Rips, sharks, and submerged reef are the primary hazards.

Fifty-metre lefts over uneven reef where Fiordland's wilderness begins.