Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay.

Right now, the window’s pretty quiet to start. Tuesday the 14th is a write-off—tiny, messy, and poor conditions. Wednesday the 15th ain’t much better, but there’s a glimmer Wednesday afternoon: the wind goes glassy, and there’s a tiny 1ft SSW groundswell with a long 17-second period. The energy’s still low (150), so the waves will be small and inconsistent, but if you’re a beginner and just want to get wet on a clean, flat surface, it’s about the best we’ve got that day. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 51°F.

Thursday the 16th afternoon sees the first real hope. The wind drops to glassy, the swell bumps to 2ft from the ESE, and the period stretches to 16 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 294 (moderate), and the conditions are set to be good. This is a calm, clean session for the patient surfer.

Now, Friday the 17th morning is a beast—10ft from the SSW with a 12-second period and a massive 2787 combined energy. That’s strong, powerful swell, but it’s too big for this break, especially for a beginner spot. Only experts should even look at it. The afternoon settles to 4ft from the ESE, still plenty of energy (1677), and clean cross-off winds. That’s a standout session for experienced surfers.

The real gem, though, is Sunday the 19th afternoon. The swell drops to 3ft from the SSW, long 16-second period, glassy conditions, and the energy is still solid at 1124. This is clean, lined-up, and perfect for a longboard or a funboard. The rating says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” but don’t let that scare you—it’s friendly enough for a confident intermediate. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Monday the 20th is also top-notch. Both morning and afternoon offer clean, cross-off or glassy conditions with 6ft and 5ft S swell, 14-15 second periods, and strong energy (1660 and 1110). That’s two more sessions of quality.

The second week gets a bit mixed. Tuesday the 21st through Wednesday the 22nd stay clean with offshore winds, but the swell drops below 4ft. Thursday the 23rd sees a weak NE windswell (7 seconds) and lower energy. There’s a gap of poor conditions from Friday the 24th to Sunday the 26th, with small, onshore, or messy surf. Then Monday the 27th brings a new pulse: 6ft ENE groundswell, 12-second period, and 1241 energy in the morning, but the afternoon surges to 7ft—too big again for this spot. Tuesday the 28th stays oversized (7-8ft) and cross-onshore, so that’s expert-only or kite territory. Wednesday the 29th finishes the outlook with a clean 6ft E swell, 10-second period, and moderate energy.

To sum it up: the standout days are Sunday the 19th afternoon and Monday the 20th, both offering clean, glassy conditions with solid, rideable groundswell. Get out there, and don’t sleep on the glassy windows.

Rusty.

Read more