Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, lookin’ at the charts for the next couple of weeks. Let's get into it.

We've got some decent pulses of energy coming through for Hickory Bay, but you’ve gotta be patient. The opening days are a bit of a write-off with messy winds and building sizes, and there’s even a few days where the swell just gets way too big for the beginner-friendly setup here.

Our first real standout window arrives Thursday the 20th. The morning is okay with a light cross-shore on a 5 ft S swell (moderate energy at 665), but it’s the afternoon that gets me excited. The wind drops to glassy – dead flat – and we’ve still got a clean 5 ft S swell with a nice 11-second period rolling in out of the south. That’s a beautiful combination for a long session, and the place should be fairly empty.

The next proper highlight comes a bit further out, on Tuesday the 25th of August. The morning session is looking prime, with glassy conditions again and a 4 ft SSW groundswell (12-second period) pushing some tidy energy in (511). That’s a low-key gem of a morning. Later that day, it jumps to 10 ft, which is just too much for this bay.

Then, if you can wait, Thursday the 27th of August shapes up as the absolute best on offer for experienced paddlers. The afternoon shows a solid 6 ft S swell (12 seconds), but the wind has swung clean offshore from the NNE. That’s the magic combo for this spot – the wave faces will be smooth and the sets should be lined up. The combined energy is moderate but solid at 1009. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

For the early part of the forecast, from now until the 19th, the swell is either too small, too big, or the wind is just messy. The 17th has a little 4 ft swell, but the wind is cross-shore. By the 18th, it’s wild – a 15 ft and 28 mph wind – total mess.

The second week calms down a bit. The 22nd and 23rd of August have tiny, weak swells below 3 ft, not really worth the paddle. The 24th has some size but with strong winds, making it a bit sketchy.

So, to wrap it up: your best windows are Thursday afternoon (August 20) for the glassy, fun-size waves, Tuesday morning (August 25) for another glassy session, and the clear standout is Thursday afternoon (August 27) for clean, offshore conditions on a solid, manageable swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a good 4/3 will do you fine.

Rusty.

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