Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s get stuck into it. The only show in town for this whole 16-day window is Hickory-Bay (Banks Peninsula). It’s been a slow start, but a few windows of clean conditions are coming up.

The water is sitting at 52°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are a mess with poor surf and onshore or cross-shore winds. Not worth paddling out for. Tuesday the 8th is small and weak, but the wind goes off and cross-off, so it’s clean. You’ll be on a longboard for a 2ft swell from the S and ENE, but it’s surfable.

Wednesday the 9th is where things start to look up. The morning is the pick of the first week: a clean 4ft swell from the ENE with a moderate offshore wind out of the N. The wave energy is moderate (254), and the break is exposed, so it’s got some push. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 5ft, but the wind goes cross-off, so it’s still clean. A fun, small-wave day.

Thursday the 10th is a write-off again with onshore winds and poor conditions. Forget it.

Now, Friday the 11th morning is a beast of a swell – 8ft from the SSW with a 8-second period, but the energy is massive (2135). The problem is, it’s too big for this break. Leave it for the experts only, and even then, it’s a grumpy, straight-shooting beach break. The afternoon cleans up with a 3ft groundswell from the SSW at 18 seconds, but it’s a bit small and marginal.

Saturday the 12th is a monster. The morning sees a 16ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and energy through the roof (6416). The afternoon hits 25ft from the SSW with a 17-second period and energy of 33620. This is a kite-surfing day, not a paddle-surfing day. The wind is cross-on and strong, and the swell is just plain dangerous for a standard surfboard.

Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th morning are still big and messy. Monday the 14th afternoon is a real standout, though. The wind goes glassy, the swell drops to a clean 5ft from the S, and the wave energy is moderate (417). This is the best session of the first two weeks – clean, manageable, and the crowds might be there, but with that quality, a few people are fine.

The second week is a mixed bag. Tuesday the 15th morning has a 8ft SSE groundswell at 14 seconds with a cross-off wind, but it’s flagged as too big for the break. The afternoon has a fresh offshore and 7ft clean conditions, but it’s marginal. Wednesday the 16th morning is a good call: 4ft from the SSE, light cross-off wind, and energy of 426. Clean, consistent, and a solid option.

The real gem of the whole outlook is Friday the 18th afternoon. The wind is glassy, the swell is a clean 3ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the energy is moderate (675). It’s not big, but it will be perfect for a point or reef setup. The break is a beach, so that long period might make it a bit straight, but with glassy conditions, it’s a dream session.

The final weekend (19th-21st September) is all too big again. 7ft to 12ft swells with onshore or cross-off winds, all flagged as too big for the break. The energy is through the roof (up to 3471), but it’s not for us.

So, to sum it up: your best two windows are Wednesday 9th morning for a clean, small day, and Monday 14th afternoon for a glassy, fun session. The absolute standout is Friday 18th afternoon – glassy, clean, and just perfect. Keep an eye on that one.

Rusty.

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