Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, lookin' at the Banks Peninsula for the next couple of weeks. We've got a decent little run of swell on the way, but it's a real mixed bag with some proper wild weather coming through too. The standout is gonna be a nice, clean window of surf from this Monday arvo through to Wednesday, so keep your eyes on that.

Alright, let's kick it off. For Monday the 27th of July, Hickory Bay is setting up real nice. We've got a clean 4ft swell from the ESE with a solid 13-second period, and the wind is glassy. Water temp is sitting at 51°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate at 762. It's a beginner-friendly spot, and it's fairly consistent, so it's a great place to get a few smooth ones. Crowds are only sometimes, so you might have it to yourself.

Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th, the swell bumps up a bit to 5ft to 6ft, still from the ESE, with a good 12 to 13-second period. The wind is off or glassy, keeping things clean. The combined energy stays solidly in the moderate range, around 900 to 984. This is the best of the bunch, a real tidy run of surf.

Thursday the 30th, the wind picks up strong, and the swell starts to drop. Thursday morning is still rideable with a 3ft ESE swell and 30 km/h offshore, but the energy drops to 444. It's marginal at best, and by the afternoon it's pretty much cooked.

From Friday the 31st of July through to Sunday the 2nd of August, we're looking at a real dud. The swell tanks down to 2ft, then gets absolutely smashed by a massive 18ft, 13-second SSW swell on Saturday the 1st of August. The combined energy shoots up to a massive 10,897, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it a complete mess. This is more of a kite-surfing scene than a paddle session. Sunday the 2nd is the same story with a 15ft to 18ft swell and nasty cross-onshore winds.

Monday the 3rd of August, the swell is still big at 8ft from the SSE, and the wind is finally offshore and clean. But, the combined energy is still very strong at 2241, and the swell is too big for this spot. It's one for the experts only, if anyone's keen.

Tuesday the 4th of August, things settle down proper. We get a clean 4ft to 5ft SE swell with a 12-second period, light offshore winds, and combined energy of 917 to 736. This is another solid day of clean, fun surf.

Then things turn ugly again. From Wednesday the 5th of August through to Sunday the 9th, it's a long stretch of poor conditions. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is all over the shop, with a couple of monster 16ft to 18ft days on the 6th and 7th. The energy readings are in the thousands, but it's all wind-blown and messy. Definitely not worth paddling out.

The final stretch from Monday the 10th to Tuesday the 11th of August is marginal. The swell drops to 4ft from the ESE, but the period is short at 9 seconds, and the energy is weak at 506. There's a 4ft, 16-second S swell on the 11th, which is a very long period, but it's directly onshore, so it's a write-off.

So, the call is clear. Make the most of Monday the 27th through to Wednesday the 29th of July, and then Tuesday the 4th of August. That's your best chance for a clean, fun surf at Hickory Bay.

Rusty.

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