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Banks Peninsula – Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Canterbury, New Zealand)

Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay break guidePhoto by: Ineke Chapman

Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Guide

Hickory Bay in Banks Peninsular is an exposed beach break that has quite reliable surf and can work at any time of the year. Offshore winds blow from the north. Windswells and groundswells in equal measure and the best swell direction is from the southeast. Waves at the beach break both left and right. It's sometimes crowded here. Take care of rips and rocks.

Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach3fairly consistent
14.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay:

The best conditions reported for surf at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay occur when a Southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

What's the best time of year to surf Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay (for consistent clean waves)?

marchBest Season: autumn
The best time of year for surfing Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn  and most often the month of March. Clean surfable waves are typically found 38% of the time in March while 27% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 35% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
38%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
27%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
35%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Location Map

Interactive Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay is Christchurch International Airport (CHC) in New Zealand, which is 57 km (35 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay is Timaru Airport (TIU), also in New Zealand, 162 km (101 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 15:06 Local Time
Wednesday 06Thu
3PM6PM9PM0AM
Wave (m)
0.7
SSW
0.6
SSW
0.6
SSW
0.5
SSW
Period (s) 14 14 14 14
Wind (km/h)
0
5
10
10
Wind State glass glass off off

What does Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay look like?

Latest photos from Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: BenCredit: BenCredit: Ineke ChapmanCredit: Jeremy Buchanan

    Tides at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay

    Current tide and informaton
    For Banks Peninsula - Gough Bay, 3 km from Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay.
    Next High Water: 07:35pm | 1.69m
    Tidal range Clock
    Next Low Water: 01:57am | 0.48m
    IS AT (local time)

    Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Sea Temperature

    The water temperature (14.0 °C) at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay is quite cool. If the sun shines as we have forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good spring wetsuit. Effective windchill factor of (16.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

    Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
    Current Temp*: 14.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite
    water-temp
    New Zealand Sea TemperatureView Sea Temp Map

    Swell History at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay

    Surf stats for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

    Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Location Map
    Average Swell
    View Swell Statistics

    Wind History at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay

    Wind stats for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

    Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Location Map
    Average Wind
    View Wind Statistics

    Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

    Discover surf breaks near Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay. Click below to view there surf guides.

    Wave Buoys Nearest To Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay:

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