Smaills Beach

📍 Local Knowledge

Smaills Beach on the Otago Peninsula is an exposed beach break with reasonably consistent surf that can be surfed year-round. The best surf occurs with a south swell and offshore winds from the northeast, typically during autumn—most often in March—when clean, rideable waves are most common. Waves arrive from both local windswells and distant groundswells, the beach produces both lefts and rights, and it works best around mid tide on a falling tide. The area is rarely crowded, but surfers should beware of strong rips and the potential presence of sharks.