CS2027 dates

Kite spot on water · New Zealand

Pilot Bay

Riders have kited it in S, SW, W.

Show on the map-37.6379, 176.1800
Works in
S, SW, W
Watch out
SW
Nearest airport
TRGTauranga Airport, 4 km

Forecast and webcams

Before you go

Forecasts often disagree. When Windguru, ALADIN and Windy agree, it is worth going.

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

NNNENEENEEESESESSESSSWSWWSWWWNWNWNNWNESW

worksdoes not work / gustyno reports

Direction the wind blows from. Based on riders' experience, not a forecast.

Pparking

From riders

What you need to know

Who it suits
For experienced kiters only due to boats, the shipping channel, and the harbor.
Size of the area
Small beach and small launch/landing area.
Watch out SW
In SW, the wind is onshore and trees and houses affect kite behavior by the small beach.

Watch out for

  • Boats, shipping channel, harbor entrance at one end and Tauranga port at the other.community map
  • Small beach, trees, houses, cars, road, moored boats, swimmers, and kayakers.community map

Where to launch

  • By the parking lot in the middle of Pilot Bay; do not linger on the beach with your kite in the air, head straight to the water.community map

Parking

  • Parking in the middle of Pilot Bay (The Mall street).community map
  • Car park about 300 m from the spot, free.unguarded · OpenStreetMap

Rules and respect

  • If a ship is passing through the channel, stop on the sandbar with your kite at 12 o'clock and wait for it to pass.community map
  • Harbour Master regulation: ride beyond the moored boats, not close to shore due to swimmers and kayakers.community map

Conditions

  • All tides; flat water at low tide out on the sandbar.community map
In riders' own words
  • „Wind Directions: S – SW – W“
  • „wind being on shore if south west... if it’s a south west wind the trees and houses will affect the flying of your kite“
  • „Pilot Bay is only for Experienced Kiteboarders due to all the boats and shipping channel“
  • „Launching/landing area is not the best due small area“
  • „The kite setup , launching/landing and pack down area is buy the car park in the middle of pilot bay... head straight out to the water.“
  • „Address: The Mall (Mount Maunganui) ... buy the car park in the middle of pilot bay“
  • „OpenStreetMap way/362010658“
  • „OpenStreetMap way/1105934119“
  • „only for Experienced Kiteboarders due to all the boats and shipping channel... Harbour Entrance at one end and Tauranga Port at the other“
  • „not the nicest place to be flying a kite due to: Harbour, Small beach, Trees, Houses, Cars, Roads and boats.“
  • „The HARBOUR MASTER has advised... you must kite outside the moored boats not in close to land“
  • „if a ship comes in or out of the harbour please stop and stand on the sand bar with your kite at 12 o’clock and wait for the ship to pass“
  • „Tides: All Tides ... Flat water out on the sand bar at low tide.“

Photos from the area

Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui · 265 m from the spot
Ogidya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Swim at Port of Tauranga Half Ironman 2011
Swim at Port of Tauranga Half Ironman 2011 · 266 m from the spot
pbkwee from Cambridge, New Zealand, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tauranga, Mount Maunganui (4582975003)
Tauranga, Mount Maunganui (4582975003) · 311 m from the spot
Umedha Hettigoda, CC BY-SA 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
January10.2 knots · 5.2 m/s
February9.8 knots · 5.0 m/s
March9.9 knots · 5.1 m/s
April9.8 knots · 5.0 m/s
May10.6 knots · 5.5 m/s
June11.4 knots · 5.9 m/s
July11.4 knots · 5.9 m/s
August10.9 knots · 5.6 m/s
September11.2 knots · 5.8 m/s
October11.4 knots · 5.9 m/s
November10.8 knots · 5.6 m/s
December10.6 knots · 5.5 m/s

Nearby

More spots within 60 km

Been there?

Add what you know

Parking changed, a new ban, a new obstacle in the water? Tell us, we will check it and update the page.

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.

A week on the water

Kite safari in the Red Sea

8 days on a yacht from Hurghada to the islands of the northern Red Sea. Next departure 7-14 November 2026, the 2027 dates are coming soon.

See the safari

The safari is organised by Mohamed of Paradise Kitesurf Red Sea. I've known him for years and we work together.