Wainui (Pines)

The waves at Wainui in Gisborne are famed for their steep and hollow shape. Pines is one of multiple “peaks” located along Waiuni Beach. Pines itself is located fairly central to Wainui Beach, close to the Surf Life Saving New Zealand clubhouse, where the Hamanatua Stream meets the beach. The seabed of the surf breaks along Wainui Beach are known to comprise of sandy material overlying a rocky reef formation.

The amount of material present on top of the underlying rocky reef varies both along the length of the beach but also in time. The resulting waves at Pines are a mix of left and right handers, or “a-frames” which break both ways.

Photo taken by Jwan Millek