Mount Maunganui kitesurf: Pilot Bay, the harbour and Papamoa
Warm 10 to 15 knot sea breezes from the north and north-east blow over Tauranga Harbour in summer. Pilot Bay is for experienced kiters only, because of moored boats and the shipping channel.
Mount Maunganui gets warm summer sea breezes, but it is not a strong-wind spot. An old local windsurf guide puts the harbour breeze at 10 to 15 knots from the north and north-east, and says that Tauranga is “not generally a high wind location but there’s usually a breeze somewhere”. Pilot Bay is the kitesurf spot for experienced riders; the harbour suits beginner windsurfers, and Papamoa has waves for wave sailing.
Facts as of November 2026, from the sources listed at the end of this page.
How windy is Mount Maunganui in summer?
Windfinder’s Tauranga Airport station, 3.2 km away, averages 9.2 knots in December and January and 8.2 in February, from the north-west to north. That is a whole-day average. North-westerlies blow hard off the hills, and south-westerlies blow hard down the channel.
Where can you kitesurf at Mount Maunganui?
Pilot Bay is a harbour lagoon. Kite Jungle lists south, south-west and west as the working directions and rates it for experienced kiteboarders only. The beach is small, with trees, houses, roads and boats close by.
The rules passed on by Kite Jungle:
- Launch by the car park in the middle of Pilot Bay.
- The Harbour Master has told kite schools that kiters must ride outside the moored boats, not close to land.
- At the sand bar you are on the edge of the shipping channel. Stop on the bar and wait while ships pass.
Where else can you ride near Tauranga?
| Spot | Water | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Tauranga Harbour | Flat to large chop, roughest at the entrance | Beginners (windsurf) |
| Papamoa Beach | Small waves in north to north-west wind; best wave sailing in a south-westerly with ocean swell | Intermediate |
What should you watch out for?
- Stingrays over the sand bar.
- Big ships in the channel and a strong current at the harbour entrance.
- Rips and beach breaks at Papamoa.
The harbour and Papamoa details come from an older, undated windsurf guide, so check conditions locally. For a west-coast option with a strong summer sea breeze, see Raglan; for city sailing and kite beaches, see Auckland.
How do you get there?
Tauranga Airport (TRG) is 3.2 km from the Mount.
How windy is Mount Maunganui from December to February?
Share of days with at least three consecutive daylight hours at 11 knots (4 Beaufort) or more, over the last 10 southern summers (2015/16 to 2024/25).
| December | January | February | Mean daylight wind | Most common direction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Bay, Mount Maunganui | 43% | 46% | 41% | 10.1 kn | WSW |
Our calculation from NASA POWER hourly wind at 10 m (MERRA-2 model), 09:00 to 18:00 local solar time. The model grid is about 50 km wide, so it smooths out local sea breezes and gusts: use these figures to compare spots and months, and check a local forecast before you go.
Where do people ride at Mount Maunganui right now?
Explore+ in the Waterspeed web app shows recent sessions on a map, with sport and top speed, so you can see which spots are working before you go. Open Explore+. To record your own sessions, Waterspeed runs on iPhone, Android, Apple Watch and Wear OS, and syncs Garmin, COROS and Suunto.
FAQ
Can beginners kitesurf at Pilot Bay?
No. Kite Jungle says Pilot Bay is for experienced kiteboarders only, because of moored boats and the shipping channel.
Which wind works at Pilot Bay?
Kite Jungle lists south, south-west and west. The summer sea breeze on the harbour comes from the north and north-east.
What do you do when a ship comes through?
Stop on the sand bar and wait until it has passed. The bar is on the edge of the shipping channel.
