Nelson’s wing foiling season runs from September to March. A typical spring is dominated by stong sou’westers. Reliable sea breezes (12–20 knots) kick in around November. Autumn and winter are quite calm.

Back Beach is beginner-friendly and close to town. The Glen and Pipes offer bumpier rides and open water action, better for intermediates and up. Cable Bay delivers wave fun with stunning scenery but demands skill.

Location: At the far end of Tahunanui Beach.

Best Wind Directions: NE, N, NW, S, SW W

Watchout for: Strong outgoing tide in a dropping wind.

Best Tide: The last three hours of the outgoing tide works with NE, N, NW winds, and the first three hours of the incoming tide with S, SW and W.

Back Beach is the best spot for wing foiling in Nelson as it’s close to town and the access is very easy. The spot is user friendly with a sandy bottom and deep water. Conditions can be suitable for beginners and intermediates and can provide a lot of fun for advanced riders with long rides on solid standing waves when the wind picks up.

Location here

Best Wind Directions: N, NW, W, SW SSW

With a huge expanse of enclosed water, Atawhai is one of Nelsons go-to spots for beginner and intermediate wing foilers. It is relatively safe and the water state is usually quite flat, making it an excellent spot to hone those first gybes and tacks. 

Watchout for: Strong outgoing tide in a dropping wind.

Best Tide: This area is very tidal. To foil comfortably with enough depth, a tide over four meters is recommended. This gives a window of 1.5 hours before high, and an hour or so after. 

Best Wind Directions: N, NW

Best Tide: Three hours either side of high tide.

Known for: It’s beautiful blue water, open water cruising and bump riding.

The Glen is located at the northern end of the boulder bank. Entry and exit from into the water here can range from easy to intimidating! With a cross shore wind entry it tends to be quite easy, but as the wind comes more onshore, the difficulty increases. There is no sand here, it’s just boulders, so you’ll need to have sure footing. It’s possible to launch here at lower tides but booties are recommended as there are a lot of Kina.

Best Wind Directions: S, SW, N

Best Tide: Three hours either side of high tide.

Known for: Big bumps, fun downwind sessions and suspect water quality.

Entry and exit similar to The Glen. This spot works best in a strong sou’wester. Things can get pretty exciting here, but on lighter wind days it’s fine for confident intermediates. Pipes is located where Boulder Bank Road meets the open water. Note that there is waste water treatment plant here that dumps ‘treated’ water around 500m off-shore. The outflow area is easily avoided by staying up current of the outlet.

Best Wind Directions: NW.

Best Tide: Three hours either side of high tide.

Known for: Long rides, it’s incredible backdrop and a nasty shore break.

Watch out for: Rocks and shallow areas in the middle of the bay when the tide drops.

Entry and exit to the water is at either the first or second car parks. On mellower days, the second launch spot is easy. On windier days with bigger swells the first carpark is the safer option.

When the wind is lighter and the swell on the smaller side it’s a great place for intermediates to get a first taste of wave riding. The wind here can be a lot stronger than in Nelson as the wind funnels into the bay. When conditions turn on, it can be gnarly and is suitable for advanced riders only.