Spearfishing Taranaki and the western North Island
Raglan and New Plymouth are black-sand surge coast: lava ridges and boulder reef under big Tasman swell, butterfish and crayfish, and honest 2-6 m visibility.
This is west-coast diving and the cards say so plainly. Raglan works Manu Bay's boulder point under the famous left, Whale Bay's kelp reef and the Ruapuke black-sand-and-rock coast, with a hard ebb out of Whaingaroa harbour at Te Kaha Point. New Plymouth has Back Beach under Paritutu and the Sugar Loaves, East End and Fitzroy reef in town, Bell Block's basalt ridges on black sand and Oakura's lava ridges southwest of the city, outside the Tapuae reserve. Depths 3-10 m. The catch is the sand between the ridges: it clouds the water, and visibility is 2-6 m on the good days and nothing when there is swell.
Both towns face west - Raglan around 260 degrees with a bad sector of 200-320, New Plymouth 315 degrees with 240-360 - so a westerly swell shuts the coast, which is most of the time. Summer into autumn on the rare quiet days is the window. Water is 12-18 C, this is where thermal protection stops being optional, and there are few sheltered exits off the rock platforms.
Rules: no licence. This coast is in the MPI Central area: 20 finfish combined per fisher per day. Blue cod is split - FMA 8, from Taranaki to Titahi Bay, is 2/day at 33 cm, whole or gutted only. Paua is 5/day region-wide, and inside the Taranaki paua fishery area the blackfoot minimum size is 85 mm rather than 125 mm. Crayfish may never be speared. The Nga Motu / Sugar Loaf Islands marine protected area sits right off New Plymouth and Tapuae Marine Reserve is next to Oakura - both are boundaries to read, not to guess. See https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/fishing-rules and https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/marine-reserves/. Safety, conditionally: heavy shorebreak and rips on the black-sand beaches, surge over the ridges, and entries that only work on the rare quiet day.
Top spots
| Spot | Nearest city | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Manu Bay Reef | Raglan | Boulder reef under the left-hand break, black sand between the stones,… |
| Corinna Rocks | New Plymouth | Rock outcrops by the Sugar Loaf islands, real ground on black sand,… |
| Middleton Bay North Reef | Ōpunake | Reef at the north end of Middleton Bay, Ōpunake: a sandy beach with… |
| Ruapuke Beach Rocks | Raglan | Wild black-sand beach south of Raglan with rock ridges, 3–9 m. |
| Middleton Headland South Reef | Ōpunake | Reefs at the south end of Middleton Bay, off the headland that divides… |
| Mikotahi (Ngāmotu) | New Plymouth | Volcanic rock by the port, boulders and kelp on black sand, 3–10 m. |
Cities in this region
FAQ
Is the west coast worth diving?
On its own terms. Visibility is honestly 2-6 m and often nothing, the swell is big and constant, and entries are hard - but the ridges hold butterfish, crayfish and kina, and the quiet days are genuinely good.
What is the blue cod limit here?
FMA 8, from Taranaki to Titahi Bay, is 2 blue cod per day at a 33 cm minimum, whole or gutted only. That is a fraction of the 20/day in FMA 2 on the other side of the island.
What is different about paua here?
Paua is 5/day across the MPI Central area, not 10, and inside the Taranaki paua fishery area the ordinary blackfoot minimum size is 85 mm rather than the usual 125 mm.
Which reserves are nearby?
The Nga Motu / Sugar Loaf Islands marine protected area sits directly off New Plymouth, and Tapuae Marine Reserve is next to Oakura. Both boundaries are close to the good ground - read the DOC map.
See also: Hawke's Bay · Wellington & Cook Strait