Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what’s cooking for Hickory Bay over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.

First up, we’ve got a solid pulse of energy moving in. The water’s sitting at 51°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a little gift from the ocean gods. The real standout is going to be that Wednesday morning on the 2nd of September. We’re looking at a hefty 10ft swell from the south, with a super long period of 15 seconds. That's a proper groundswell. The combined energy is pumping at 3311, so there’s plenty of grunt. But here’s the thing – that size is going to be too big for beginners, and at a spot like Hickory Bay, that long-period south swell might just break a bit too straight. The wind is light cross-off from the NNW at 3 mph, so the surface will be clean. It’s a real humdinger for the experienced crew.

That afternoon, the swell drops to a still-chunky 8ft from the south, period 13 seconds. Still big, still clean with a cross-off breeze, but again, it’s expert territory. By Thursday morning the 3rd, we’re down to a much friendlier 4ft from the south, period 11 seconds. The wind is light cross-off from the NW at 6 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 304, and conditions are clean. This is a good window for the intermediate surfer to get a piece.

We hit a bit of a lull over the weekend. Friday the 4th is a write-off with strong winds and tiny swell. Saturday the 5th has a little bump in the morning – 4ft from the SSW – but the wind picks up hard in the afternoon, so grab it early if you’re keen. Sunday the 6th is interesting: the swell is small, but we get a strong offshore wind from the north. The morning is clean but the period is a very long 17 seconds, making it a bit of a battle to get into the waves. The afternoon eases up with a moderate offshore.

Next week starts with a bang on Monday the 7th – but not in a good way. A huge 12ft swell from the SSW slams in with strong onshore winds. That’s a mess. Tuesday the 8th has a clean morning with a 5ft SSE swell and light offshore wind, but it gets choppy by the afternoon.

The real highlight of the second week looks to be Saturday the 12th of September. The morning session is the pick: a 5ft swell from the south, period 13 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind from the north. The combined energy is strong at 1036, and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds at 5ft with a gentler offshore. That’s your weekend winner, hands down.

Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th both offer clean, surfable waves in the 4ft to 5ft range with light winds. Monday morning is glassy – no wind at all. The swell period is short at 8 seconds, so it’s more of a fun, crumbly wave than a grunty one. From there, the energy fades. The last few days of the outlook are small and mostly blown out or just ordinary. Wednesday the 16th has a long-period 3ft SSW swell with clean conditions, but it’s small and weak.

So to sum it up: if you’re a confident surfer, don’t miss Wednesday the 2nd morning for the big, raw power. For the rest of us, circle Saturday the 12th – that’s the best all-rounder with decent size, clean wind, and good energy. Get out there.

Rusty.

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