Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The first real surf window for Hickory Bay (Banks Peninsula) kicks off on Wednesday the 9th of September. The water’s sitting at 51.1°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a little welcome surprise for your toes.

Wednesday afternoon kicks things off with a clean 4.6ft swell from the NE, period around 9 seconds, and a moderate offshore breeze. Wave energy’s moderate at 364. It’s not huge, but the conditions are clean and it’s a solid start for beginners. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so don’t be shocked if a few others have the same idea.

Thursday the 10th is a write-off – strong onshore winds from the SSW, bumpy and messy. Not worth paddling out.

Then Friday morning the 11th brings a real treat. Swell drops a little to 3.9ft but the period jumps to a very long 18 seconds – proper groundswell. Clean offshore breeze, moderate energy (971), and the waves will have some serious shape. The long period will make for clean lines and easy paddling between sets, but at a beach setup, it might be a little too straight. Still, this is the standout session of the early window.

Friday afternoon hangs around with 3.3ft and a 17-second period but the wind swings onshore. Marginal at best.

Saturday the 12th sees the swell jump dramatically – 14.8ft to 16.4ft – with the energy going through the roof (4,045 and 17,373). That’s way too big for beginners and only for experts, and the wind isn’t clean enough to make it work. Avoid it.

Sunday the 13th is still oversized (6.9ft–7.9ft) with a long period, but the wind stays cross-onshore and lumpy. Not great.

Now, here’s another real standout: Monday morning the 14th. Glassy conditions with a clean 5.2ft S swell, 11-second period, and moderate energy (620). This is a beauty. Clean, open faces, easy paddling. The best of the week after Friday morning.

Monday afternoon stays clean with a lighter 3.6ft S swell and a nice 10-second period. Still worth a session.

Tuesday the 15th has smaller surf (2.6ft–3.0ft) but clean offshore and cross-off winds. Good for a longboard or a quiet paddle.

From there, a run of clean days continues through Thursday the 17th, with the best being Thursday afternoon: 4.9ft from the SSW, 12-second period, gentle offshore breeze, and strong energy (593). That’s another top session.

Friday the 18th has clean conditions but the swell is smaller and the wind fresher – marginal but surfable for the keen.

Saturday the 19th is back to big swell (7.2ft–8.2ft) with short period and cross-onshore wind. That’s more for experts or maybe kites.

We then hit a dry patch from Sunday the 20th through Monday the 21st – messy winds and poor conditions. Not worth it.

But Tuesday the 22nd offers a silver lining: morning glass with a 3.0ft SSW groundswell, 16-second period, and clean conditions. Small but beautiful. Wednesday the 23rd also offers NE swell around 5.2ft, moderate period, with clean cross-off winds. Not a standout, but a decent option.

After that, Thursday the 24th the wind turns onshore again, and we’re back to poor conditions through the end of the outlook.

So, if I’m calling the best of the 16 days: Friday morning the 11th and Monday morning the 14th are your true standouts. Clean, decent swell, good energy. After that, Thursday afternoon the 17th is a solid backup.

Stay stoked.

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