Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, it’s going to be a mixed bag, but there are some windows of really clean surf if you pick your days. The main player is Hickory Bay (Banks Peninsula). The water’s sitting at 50°F with a slight anomaly, a degree or two warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s a touch more comfortable than you’d expect.

The first proper call comes in on Friday, August 7th. There’s a solid 5ft swell from the south with a 13-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. Friday morning is a bit cross-off, but the afternoon is where it’s at. Offshore wind from the north-northeast at 6 mph is going to groom that 5ft south swell into clean lines. It’s a beginner-friendly break, but that combo of glassy offshore breeze and decent energy makes it a real standout for the week.

Saturday the 8th is a good one too. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the south, but the wind goes glassy in the morning. That’s pure magic for a spot like this. The combined energy is moderate (315), so it’s not packing a punch, but for a clean, cruisy session, you can’t beat it. Sunday the 9th turns ugly with strong north-northeast winds and rain, so give that a miss. The start of the next week is pretty average until Wednesday the 12th. That morning, the swell jumps to 8ft from the northeast, but with a short period of 7 seconds. The energy is strong (654), but it’s a big, messy wave for a beginner spot. That’s more for the experienced guys, and even then, it’s not the best shape.

The real standout of the whole forecast lands on Friday, August 21st. Friday morning, the wind drops to glassy, and you’ve got a 7ft swell from the south with an 11-second period. That’s a lot of juice (1165 combined energy). It’s a big wave, so only for the experts here, but if you can handle it, those conditions are about as good as it gets. The afternoon of the 21st is also a winner with a clean 6ft south swell and offshore winds. Saturday the 22nd shows a glassy morning with a 4ft, 12-second groundswell from the south-southwest – that’s a beautiful setup for a relaxed session.

There’s a big gap of poor conditions from the 9th through the 11th and then again from the 17th to the 20th, with no real surf on offer. The 15th of August sees a massive 12ft swell, but it’s onshore and messy, so that’s a hard pass. For the best of the best, lock in the afternoon of Friday the 7th and the morning of Saturday the 8th for the beginners, and the morning of Friday the 21st for the big-wave crew.

Rusty, signing off.

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