Water is flat to large chop depending of direction and strength. Very strong NE brings head high chop. When wind isn't too strong water quality is good but when stormy sewerage can overflow into water (no excuse to not kite however). When sideshore the chop is real clean. Mid tide is best for learning, low tide is good especially when sideshore. High tide is great if powered up but for experts only.
A mixture of sand and shells. 1.5km long and about 15m wide at mid tide. Big high tide reduces width to a few meters. Low tide flats are 200m wide. High tide is tricky for launching and landing kite. This beach is ENE facing.
Water temp: 15°C in winter, 25°C in summer. Air temp: 15°C in winter, 24°C in summer. Wetsuit not required during summer and autumn. Springsuit or 3mm steamer for rest of year.
Season here is best in autumn but summer and winter are also pretty good. Spring is mostly offshore winds. Westerly regime breaks down in autumn and tropical systems from NE give frequent but not always strong E to N winds. Summer sea breezes are kiteable here but very crowded. Spring is mostly strong offshore winds and lean pickings for this spot. Winter sessions are great here. Quite a few Easterly winds, nice weather quite often. Typical NE winds here are 10-25 knots but can get up to 70 knots on occasions. 15-20 knots NE is perfect here.
Get to Pakuranga in East Auckland, travel up Bucklands Beach Rd, veer left at roundabout, past the turnoff to Little Bucks, down the hill, hang a right and the beach is at the end lined with palm trees. Best place to rig up is the northern end (turn left when you arrive at beach).
Leash at all times. Also don't kite here when 30°C in middle of summer. No room to move or park, let alone kite. And besides the winds won't be that great (Bramley is way better then and not too far away).
There is a number of cafes on the water front and on Sat and Fri night this place can be pretty happening (back in the day gen Xers used to come down here and pull burnouts and get drunk). A lot stricter now but still plenty of places to eat.
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