Cray Bay has two excellent left handers (plus two good right handers and a beach break). Its a pain to get there but its worth it. Very consistence because its facing South and catches the big southerly swells (+ the easterly swells). About the only spot around Napier that is offshore on a northerly wind. Park on the southern end of the Beach in Waimarama. There are two ways: 1. 2 h before low tide: Walk along the beach south (gets rocky and a pain to walk ). After app. 30 min you see the 1st right. 10 min further the 1st left. 10 min further you hit the beach. Another 10 min along the beach to the southern end: 2nd right. And around the point from there (or over the hill) the 2nd left which is the best wave of all. 2. The faster way (or at high tide) to the 2nd left (app. 45 min walk) is not along the beach but over the hill around the pine forest. Hard to desribe here - its easy to get lost in the pine forest. The best is you walk around the pine forest up to the top of the hill. From there cross a paddock down the hill where you see a gravel road in the valley. This is private farmland - show respect please. Follow the gravel road along a lake and app. 10 min after the lake you are on the cliff at the southern end of Cray Bay. On the southern side of the cliff you look down to the 2nd left. Take a friend - I surf this spot app. 20 times per year and never ever met another surfer there. Can hold a big swell. Its fast, hollow and rocky - not for the faint hearted - but I think its one of the best lefthanders on the East Coast of the North Island. The 1st left is a bit tamer but also very good - nice long workable wall. Its very beautiful there - New Zealand surfing at its best. Go early and stay the day. Take food and water.
Overview
Atmosphere
General
nice left hand reef, a heavy wave with good barrels when winds are off shore
Another vote for crays
Good waves, long walk, if the swells not southerly forget about it.
comment by milo, 2006-12-25 20:06:10
this place should be called white pointer bay made the long walk waves were only very average however the show was two huge white pointers playing rag doll with a dead seal we had no camera it would have been wicked footage the local fishos that were there say the depleted fish stocks further south means the local seal colonys are growing too fast and the white pointers are now resident munchers in the local food chain it was the the freakyest thing iv ever seen in the ocean it sent shivers down my spine it was like shit you only read about
comment by Anonymous, 2006-08-10 11:51:48
Crays
Crays is a good spot to surf if your from or visiting Hawkes Bay. South facing so nice and consistent. Very long walk to get there but everytime i've been it was uncrowded (no people whatsoever) and very surfable so worth the effort.
comment by Anonymous, 2008-08-08 06:19:36