Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's have a yarn about what's coming up for our local stretch.

Right off the bat, we've got a solid run of surf kicking off. For the next few days, it's all about *Hickory-Bay (Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay)*. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about but it won't be a shock to the system.

Things get going on Monday, 27 July. The swell is a clean 4ft - 4ft, coming from the E and ESE with a nice long period of 13 seconds. That's proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a solid 823 (moderate). The wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm, so the face will be like a mirror. This is the standout of the whole window for a beginner-friendly wave. It's clean, it's mellow, and the crowds are only sometimes a problem.

Tuesday the 28th sees the swell push up to 6ft from the ESE, still with that 13-second period. The combined energy sits around 976 (moderate). In the morning you've got a clean cross-off, and by the afternoon it turns into a pure offshore breeze from the NNW. This is right in the sweet spot for a longboard or a funboard. Wednesday the 29th holds the same energy, with the swell dropping slightly to 5ft but with glassy conditions in the afternoon. Thursday the 30th starts to drop off, with the swell dropping to 3ft, but the wind is still OK until the afternoon when a strong 35 mph offshore wind fires up, making it clean but a bit of a handful.

Friday the 31st is a bit of a write-off. The morning is weak with a 2ft swell from the E (combined energy 142 - weak), but the afternoon brings a massive shift. An 8ft SSW swell with a short period of 8 seconds, and a combined energy of 1056 (strong). That's way too much juice for this spot, and it's not a good shape for the break. Then we hit a big gap. Saturday the 1st of August through Sunday the 2nd of August is a complete no-go. The swell explodes to 13ft - 18ft from the S with a combined energy of 9665 (very strong). That is pure, raw, unmanageable power, and the wind is howling onshore or cross-onshore. It's a mess. Monday the 3rd of August sees the swell dropping to 8ft from the SE with a 12-second period, but the combined energy is still 2182 (very strong). That's still too big for the beginners, and the guidance says it's too big for this break.

Tuesday the 4th of August is where it gets interesting again. The morning is a bit messy with a cross-on breeze, but by the afternoon the swell is 5ft from the SE, period 11 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. The combined energy is 876 (moderate). That's a very good window. Wednesday the 5th of August is back to clean fun with a 4ft ESE swell and 13-second period. The offshore wind from the N will be clean. That's a good day.

We lose the run again on Thursday the 6th of August as the swell drops to 3ft and the wind turns onshore. Then Friday the 7th of August sees an 8ft SE swell with a short period again, and the combined energy is 944 (moderate). The wind is onshore, so it's not worth paddling for.

Now, looking at the second week, there's a bit of promise. On Saturday the 8th of August, the swell is 3ft - 4ft from the S, with a 12-14 second period. The offshore wind is up, and the combined energy is 749 (moderate). That's a decent, clean weekend wave. Sunday the 9th of August holds similar with a 5ft S swell, but the wind is cross-off, so it's still clean. The combined energy is 729 (moderate). It's not a barnstormer, but it's a solid option.

Then we hit another size event. Monday the 10th of August brings a 10ft ENE swell with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 1828 (very strong). That's too big for this spot. Tuesday the 11th of August is a 7ft ENE swell, still too big. The wave energy is just too much for the setup here.

So, the best of the best is the run from Monday the 27th of July through Wednesday the 29th of July. That's the one. The absolute standout is Monday afternoon with that glassy, 4ft groundswell. After that, Wednesday the 5th of August is a solid pick, and the weekend of the 8th-9th of August is worth a look for a clean, mellow session.

Rusty.

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