Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this 16-day window at Hickory Bay is a tale of two halves, and most of it is a story about raw power. The first week is dominated by a massive, powerful swell that’s just too big for this exposed spot, especially for the beginner crew. The water’s sitting at 51.4°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze your nuts off waiting for a set.

We kick off on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning is a write-off – a solid 14.8 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and a strong cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is pumping at 5644, which is a massive amount of power, but it’s a mess. The afternoon, however, is a different story. The wind swings light offshore out of the north, cleaning up a 11.5 ft S swell (13-second period, 4279 energy). It’s still too big for beginners, but for a competent surfer on a bigger board, you’ll get some absolute bombs. The wind and tide are favorable, making it clean.

Wednesday the 2nd keeps the theme. The morning has a 9.8 ft S swell (15 seconds, 3331 energy) with a light cross-offshore breeze – clean as a whistle but still too big for the average punter. The afternoon drops a bit to 7.5 ft (13 seconds, 1803 energy) but the wind picks up to a fresh 18.6 mph cross-offshore. It’s clean, but you’ll be battling the wind on the paddle out. That long period (15 seconds) means the sets will be well-spaced, which is a double-edged sword at a beach break like this – it can break a bit straight, but the lulls make paddling out easier.

Thursday the 3rd is where it finally becomes manageable. The morning sees a 3.9 ft S swell (11 seconds, 360 energy) with a light cross-offshore breeze. This is the first window where the surf is actually good, clean, and rideable. The afternoon drops to 3.3 ft (242 energy) and is marginal. Friday the 4th is a mess – the swell drops to nothing, and the morning has a 24.9 mph cross-offshore wind that’s just too strong, despite the 129 energy reading being weak.

Then we get into the weekend. Saturday the 5th is a nice little window. The morning has a 4.6 ft SSW swell (10 seconds, 367 energy) with a light cross-offshore breeze, and the afternoon goes glassy offshore with a 3.9 ft SSW swell (9 seconds, 249 energy). It’s clean, it’s small, and it’s fun. Sunday the 6th is a dud – the swell is tiny, and the wind is howling.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th see the return of the monster. A 14.8 ft and 13.1 ft SSW swell (11 seconds, 4096 and 3868 energy) with strong cross-onshore wind. This is not surfing, this is survival. The energy is huge, but the quality is zero. Wednesday the 9th improves with a 5.6 ft S swell (9 seconds, 525 energy) and a moderate offshore wind, but it’s marginal.

Now, pay attention to Thursday the 10th. This is the standout of the entire forecast. The morning has a 5.2 ft NE swell (a very short 6-second period, 528 energy) with a moderate offshore wind. The score is a 3 out of 10 for the period, which is the best you’ll see. The swell direction is from the NE, which is the exact opposite of the break’s optimum SE direction, so it’s not going to be perfect. But the wind is good, it’s clean, and it’s the one day where the size is right for everyone. The afternoon is a bit bigger at 5.9 ft (8 seconds, 647 energy) but still a good option.

Friday the 11th is a glassy, small day. The morning is a 2.3 ft SE swell (10 seconds, 277 energy) with glassy conditions – that’s rare. The afternoon is a 3.3 ft ESE swell (10 seconds, 348 energy) with a light cross-offshore. It’s small but clean.

The second week gets a bit weird. Saturday the 12th has a good window in the afternoon: a 3.0 ft SSW swell (a very long 16 seconds, 739 energy) with a light cross-offshore breeze. The period is long, which means it’ll be a groundswell, and it’s a good score. Sunday the

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