Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, folks. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us at Hickory Bay. This is a spot that’s exposed to the open ocean, so when it’s on, it can be a beauty, but we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag ahead.

The water’s sitting at 51°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s not quite as nippy as you’d expect—small mercy.

The real action starts to build mid-week next week. The week ahead is pretty quiet, with tiny, weak swells. Tuesday the 15th sees a small 1ft south-southwest swell with a 14-second period, but the energy is weak (134). It’s clean enough with a gentle offshore breeze, but it’s really only good for a beginner to get wet on a foamie.

Wednesday the 16th and Thursday are flat and not worth the drive. Friday the 18th is where things start to wake up. Morning brings a 2ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period, but the energy is moderate (482). It’s clean with an offshore wind. The afternoon gets better—a 2ft swell, still long-period at 15 seconds, and the energy jumps to 527. With a light cross-offshore breeze, the waves will be clean and lined up. This is a good little window for a log or a fish.

Saturday the 19th morning sees a jump in size to 5ft, but the period drops to 9 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy and less organised. The offshore wind (16 mph) will keep it clean, but it’s not the best shape. The afternoon drops to 3ft with a cleaner cross-offshore breeze. Sunday the 20th is a write-off—big, messy, and blown out with a strong cross-onshore wind and 12ft to 13ft of lumpy swell. That’s one for the kite crew, not for paddling.

The standout window arrives Monday the 21st morning. We’ve got a 5ft south swell, period of 10 seconds, with a moderate offshore breeze. Combined energy is solid at 724, and the conditions are clean. This is the best of the first week.

After a bit of a drop-off mid-week, the second half of the week really fires. Thursday the 24th afternoon is a ripper: a 5ft south swell with a very long 15-second period, and a light offshore wind. The energy is strong at 860. Then Friday the 25th morning is a beauty—a 4ft south-southwest swell with a 14-second period, glassy conditions (no wind), and an energy of 594. That’s a session you’ll remember. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore breeze and 3ft swell.

The absolute best of the run is on Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th. Tuesday afternoon sees a massive 10ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period and massive energy (3322), but it’s simply too big for Hickory Bay—it’s an expert-only situation, and even then, it’s pushing it. Wednesday the 30th morning is glassy with a 8ft SSW swell, 14-second period, and energy of 2122. Again, that’s big and powerful, only for the experienced crew. The following days stay clean but the swell is still large.

So, if you’re a beginner or intermediate, target Friday 18th afternoon or Monday 21st morning. For the strong swimmers and experts, Thursday 24th afternoon and Friday 25th morning are your best bets. The very biggest swells at the end are for the brave only.

Keep an eye on the wind, and don’t be afraid to skip the sloppy days.

Rusty.

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