Smails Beach.

Smails Beach is a compact Dunedin beachbreak suited to small S swells, sitting east of the main St Clair-St Kilda stretch on the Otago Peninsula side. The spot has an established left in the east corner that provides a defined section when the rest of the beach is closing out or sectioning. Multiple rips run across the beach and serve as both a paddle-out channel and a hazard, depending on how you read them. NE winds are offshore and produce the cleanest conditions. Low to mid tide is the target - higher water fills in the banks and the wave loses definition. Size range is modest at 2 to 1.8m, and the quality is rated good when conditions align. The proximity to Dunedin and the limited number of quality options means surfers converge quickly when it's on. The Dunedin Peninsula coastline offers additional options nearby at Tomahawk and beyond.

Left-hander holds shape in Smails' east corner when the beach closes out everywhere else.