Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, lookin' at the surf ahead for the next couple of weeks. Things are gonna kick off with a real nice little window, but then we've got a wild, dangerous stretch before it settles back down into some good, clean waves.

Alright, the first good news is for this Wednesday, the 29th of July. We're starting with a lovely little pulse at Hickory-Bay (Banks Peninsula). Wednesday morning we've got a solid 5ft of swell coming from the ESE, with a long 13-second period and a light north offshore breeze. That's a groundswell, meaning proper energy and shape. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual. The combined energy is a moderate 889, and it's looking clean. Wednesday afternoon gets even better – the wind goes glassy, flat calm, and the swell holds at 5ft from the ESE with a 12-second period. The energy bumps up to 966. This is easily the best on offer for the first few days. Crowds are only a *sometimes* thing here, so you've got a good chance of getting a few waves to yourself.

Thursday the 30th is still clean but the swell is dropping. Morning sees a 3ft swell from the ESE with a 12-second period, and a fresh offshore from the NNW at 16 mph. The energy is down to a moderate 439. It's still surfable, but the wind is getting up there. That afternoon, the wind hits 22 mph from the north, which is a fresh offshore but makes it tricky. The swell is only 3ft, so it's a bit of a struggle.

Friday the 31st of July we see the quality drop off. The swell is tiny, the wind is all over the place, and it's not worth paddling out for. We then hit a big gap. From Friday afternoon right through to Monday morning, the 3rd of August, there's nothing worth recommending. The swell gets huge, up to 13ft on the 1st of August, but it's onshore, messy, and dangerous. That Saturday the 1st of August, the combined energy is a massive 3466 with a strong SSW onshore wind. That's a forget-it day unless you're a kite surfer, but even then it's wild.

Now, Monday the 3rd of August is where it gets interesting again. The morning brings a clean 4ft SE swell with an 11-second period, light offshore winds, and a moderate energy of 717. It's a great little window. But the standout for the second week is actually that Monday afternoon – the swell is predicted to be 8ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and the energy is a very strong 2869. However, the wind is a cross-offshore, and it's clean. The problem is, that 8ft is getting big for this spot, and it's noted as potentially too big for this break. It's a bit of a gamble, but if you're an expert, it could be a ripper if the winds hold.

The rest of that week into the 7th and 8th of August gets messy again with big, onshore swells. The energy numbers are massive – over 13,000 on the 4th – but it's all cross-onshore and choppy. Not our scene.

Finally, we get a proper run of good surf from Friday the 7th of August onwards. Friday morning has a clean 5ft SE swell with a 12-second period, light offshore winds, and a moderate energy of 728. That's a solid session. Friday afternoon is glassy and clean. Saturday the 8th of August is smaller but clean, and Sunday the 9th has a glassy morning with a 4ft ESE swell. The period is short at 7 seconds, so it's a bit weaker, but it's clean. That runs right through to Wednesday the 12th of August, which has a clean 6ft SSE swell with a 9-second period and a moderate energy of 790. That's a great way to end the forecast period.

So, if you're looking for the best of the best, you've got two windows: this Wednesday the 29th of July is the absolute standout for the first week. For the second week, keep an eye on Monday the 3rd of August afternoon for a big, clean swell if you're experienced, and then the whole run from Friday the 7th of August through to Wednesday the 12th of August looks like a solid stretch of clean, fun waves.

Rusty.

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