Opunake.

A pocket beachbreak wedged between two prominent headlands on the Surf Highway, Opunake picks up a wide swell window from south through northwest. Peaks shift along the beach offering both lefts and rights, with a longer right occasionally peeling the length of the bay. The sand bottom produces steep but forgiving walls suited to performance surfing rather than barrels, though the takeoff can pitch on bigger sets. The wave needs a pushing tide to organise, especially for the rights. Spring and summer north-to-northeast winds provide the cleanest conditions, but the spot is exposed and often messy outside those windows. Scattered rocks sit in the lineup and a persistent rip runs along the left side of the beach, worth noting on bigger days. The headland reefs either side of the bay also hold surf when conditions align. An ASR artificial reef was trialled here and abandoned, and a shark attack occurred in 2012. Crowds are light year-round with only a handful of locals and holiday surfers in summer. One of the most accessible waves on the Taranaki coast, right in front of the township.

Peaks that shift with the tide along a sand bottom wedged between Taranaki headlands.