Motu River Surf Forecast and Surf Reports
(East Cape, New Zealand)
- Forecast
- Maps
- Live
- Weather State
- Spot Information
Photo by: Rob DaviesMotu River Surf Guide
Motu River in East Cape is a reasonably exposed beach break that has fairly consistent surf. Summer offers the best conditions for surfing. The best wind direction is from the south southeast. Groundswells are more common than windswells and the best swell direction is from the north northeast.. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Surfing here means negotiating dangerous rips.
Motu River Spot Info
| Type: | Rating: |
|---|---|
 Sandbar |  3 |
| Reliability: | Todays Sea Temp*: |
| inconsistent | 68°F*ocean temperature recorded from satellite |
Surfing Motu River:
The best conditions reported for surf at Motu River occur when a North-northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the South.
What's the best time of year to surf Motu River (for consistent clean waves)?
Explore Motu River Location Map
Interactive Motu River surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Motu River is Whakatane Airport (WHK) in New Zealand, 60 km (37 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Motu River is Gisborne Airport (GIS), also in New Zealand, 96 km (60 miles) away.
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (ft)
Live Wind Speed (mph)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (ft)- Wind Speed (mph)
Monday, 28 April 2025, 18:16 Local Time
| Monday 28 | Tue | |||
| 3PM | 6PM | 9PM | 0AM | |
| Wave (ft) | ||||
| Period (s) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Wind (mph) | ||||
| Wind State | cross- on |
cross- on |
cross | cross- off |
Tides at Motu River
| NEXT | IS AT (local time) | remaining |
|---|---|---|
| high tide | ||
| low tide |
Swell History at Motu River
Surf stats for Motu River, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.
Wind History at Motu River
Wind stats for Motu River, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.
Motu River Reviews:
Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.
- Overall:3.0
- Quality on a good day:3.0
- Consistency of Surf:3.0
- Difficulty Level:
4.0 - Crowds:4.0
Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:
Discover surf breaks near Motu River. Click below to view there surf guides.
Reef
Point
BeachWave Buoys Nearest To Motu River:
- Closest Wave BuoyBay of Plenty Buoy55 mi
- Second closest Wave BuoyBream Bay Buoy217 mi
- Third closest Wave BuoyTory East Head Buoy290 mi
- Fourth closest Wave BuoyGolden Bay Buoy318 mi
- Fifth closest Wave BuoyFairway Beacon330 mi
Nearest