Kite spot on water · New Zealand
Petone
Riders have kited it in SE–SW. Best in S.
- Works in
- SE–SW
- Best
- S
- Watch out
- SE
- Nearest airport
- WLGWellington International Airport, 13 km
Forecast and webcams
Before you go
Forecasts often disagree. When Windguru, ALADIN and Windy agree, it is worth going.
Webcams nearby
Live images from cameras within 25 km of the spot. Click to open the camera on Windy.com.
Webcams: Windy.com
Tips for this spot
- Offshore wind carries you away from land. Do not ride it without a rescue boat.
- When a storm is coming, get out of the water and land the kite at once. Gusts before a storm are violent and a kite overhead is the highest point around.
- New spot: ask locals about shallows, currents and where people launch.
On site
Wind and riding area
bestworksdoes not work / gustyno reports
Direction the wind blows from. Based on riders' experience, not a forecast.
Pparking
From riders
What you need to know
Watch out for
- Busy main road right behind a small beach west of the launch zone, with no safe place to land a kite.community map
- Gorse and bushes between the beach and the sports fields.community map
Where to launch
- Launch spot at Hikoikoi Reserve with plenty of beach; best for beginners between mid and low tide, when you can walk out about 40 m.community map
- A sports field right behind the beach serves as a bailout zone and trainer kite practice area.community map
Parking
- Car park about 350 m from the spot, paid.OpenStreetMap
Getting there
- Head east along the coast on Esplanade, turn right past the Mobil gas station (Kircaldy St), then left (Marin Parade) and right down a short path to the beach.community map
Rules and respect
- Do not ride in front of the main road west of the launch zone; beginners should stick to the 300m beach section away from the main road.community map
Conditions
- Wind has some onshore component, steadiest on pure S; in summer, thermal wind adds 5 knots (3 m/s) more than at Lyall. The gently sloping beach forms small waves on windier days.community map
Riders' tips
- In summer, thermal wind can kick in and blow 5 knots (3 m/s) stronger than at Lyall.community map
In riders' own words
- „Wind Direction SE through to SSW (SW). Best in S, gusty in SE.“
- „Level Novice“
- „There is a good 300m stretch of beach that does not run alongside the main road.“
- „The launch site can be found at Hikoikoi Reserve.“
- „Also sports fields are directly behind the beach and act as safety net is things go wrong.“
- „OpenStreetMap way/750642468“
- „OpenStreetMap way/38438039“
- „follow the Esplanade east along the sea front until the road turns away from the beach just past the Mobil garage. Take the next right (Kircaldy St)“
- „Just watch out for the gorse and bushes between the beach and the fields.“
- „the busy road runs right behind the small beach and there is no safe area for landing kites“
- „Please do not sail anywhere infront of the main road to the west of the launch area“
- „The wind again will be onshore to some degree. For the novice the best time to launch is between mid and low tide where you can walk out tosea for about 40 meters.“
- „Best in South, in summer Petone can get a thermal and blow 5 knots stronger than Lyall“
Photos from the area
cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wind by month
When it blows
Average wind speed 10 m above ground from NASA POWER (MERRA-2, 2001–2025). The model works on a grid of roughly 50 km; on hills and by the water the wind is often stronger and gustier.
windiest monthsaverage wind in knots, NASA POWER; below the month in m/s
Values by month
| January | 12.9 knots · 6.6 m/s |
|---|---|
| February | 12.2 knots · 6.3 m/s |
| March | 11.8 knots · 6.1 m/s |
| April | 11.5 knots · 5.9 m/s |
| May | 12.3 knots · 6.3 m/s |
| June | 12.5 knots · 6.4 m/s |
| July | 12.6 knots · 6.5 m/s |
| August | 12.2 knots · 6.3 m/s |
| September | 13.8 knots · 7.1 m/s |
| October | 13.7 knots · 7.0 m/s |
| November | 13.6 knots · 7.0 m/s |
| December | 12.8 knots · 6.6 m/s |
Nearby
More spots within 60 km
Been there?
Add what you know
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Sources: Community map “Kitesurfing spots in NZ” (Google My Maps). Wind NASA POWER, airports OurAirports, photos Wikimedia Commons (author and licence with each photo). As of 17 October 2026. These are riders' reports; local rules change, so look around before you ride and follow local signs.
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