Surf Forecasts:
Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, NE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 10s period, SSE swell with 4,354 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 04) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay in the next 16 days are 5.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 04) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Hickory Bay (Banks Peninsula). Right now, the water’s sitting at 52°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing wild, but you’ll notice it’s a bit more comfortable than usual.
The first real chance to get wet comes Friday afternoon, July 3rd. We’ve got a clean 3ft east swell, with a period of 11 seconds, and a light NNW offshore breeze. The combined energy is 271 (moderate). It’s gentle, clean, and perfect for a beginner session. Crowds are possible here, so keep an eye out.
Saturday morning, July 4th, is a write-off. The wind howls from the north at 22 mph, making a mess of things. The afternoon picks up a 6ft NE swell (period 9 seconds, energy 744), but the wind is still strong and offshore, making it a bit of a handful. It’s marginal.
Sunday, July 5th, starts with a 6ft NE swell and a light cross-onshore breeze, but the period is short at 8 seconds. The afternoon gets worse with a cross-shore wind. Skip it.
Monday, July 6th, is a total loss. A massive 15ft south swell hits with onshore winds. The energy is 3535 (strong). This is too big for beginners and only for experts, but the wind is so bad it’s a no-go. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Tuesday, July 7th, through Thursday, July 9th, stays big and messy. Swells hold around 10ft to 13ft, with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The water is churned up. Not worth it.
Now, the best on offer: Friday, July 17th, and Saturday, July 18th. Friday morning sees a 4ft ESE swell, with a very long period of 14 seconds (groundswell). The wind is light and cross-offshore, and the energy is 1492 (moderate). The break is a beach-and-reef setup, so that long period might make it a bit straight, but for experienced surfers, it’s excellent. Saturday morning, July 18th, is glassy. A 3ft ESE swell, 12-second period, and no wind at all. Combined energy is 724 (moderate). The water will be like a mirror – clean and fun.
Between now and the 17th, there’s a big gap of poor conditions. The 3rd is the only decent early window, then you’re waiting until the 17th for the real standout.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 5°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 10°C on Mon afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Mon night, light winds from the SE by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 251 | 335 | 255 | 552 | 937 | 381 | 433 | 1257 | 3361 | 3457 | 4354 | 3065 | 1837 | 1092 | 1137 | 991 | 569 | 946 | 1145 | 1058 | 1571 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 6:29PM1.74m | 6:45AM1.58m | 7:10PM1.71m | 7:28AM1.57m | 7:51PM1.68m | 8:13AM1.56m | 8:36PM1.66m | 9:01AM1.59m | 9:24PM1.65m | 9:54AM1.64m | 10:17PM1.67m | 10:50AM1.71m | 11:13PM1.70m | 11:48AM1.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:49AM0.40m | 12:57PM0.36m | 1:32AM0.40m | 1:41PM0.38m | 2:15AM0.40m | 2:27PM0.39m | 2:59AM0.38m | 3:16PM0.39m | 3:45AM0.36m | 4:09PM0.37m | 4:35AM0.31m | 5:04PM0.34m | 5:27AM0.26m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 |
 | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | 5:06 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | E 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 16 |
| kJ | 251 | 335 | 255 | 184 | 123 | 381 | 433 | 242 | 100 | 73 | 110 | 1140 | 821 | 1092 | 1137 | 991 | 569 | 377 | 158 | 90 | 129 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | SW 12 | S 12 | SSW 18 | E 9 | NNE 8 | SSW 20 | E 10 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | E 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 20 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 203 | 50 | 82 | 74 | 9 | 121 | 263 | 321 | 135 | 117 | 85 | 397 | 128 | 164 | 237 | 196 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 13 | S 17 | S 16 | — | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | — | — | SSW 19 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 17 | 6 | 5 | — | 28 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 57 | — | — | 280 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | N 4 | NNE 5 | NE 9 | NE 9 | SW 4 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 38 | 28 | 100 | 552 | 937 | 13 | 158 | 1257 | 3361 | 3457 | 4354 | 3065 | 1837 | 599 | 155 | 135 | 558 | 946 | 1145 | 1058 | 1571 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 27 | 76 | 76 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 216 | 216 | 279 | 241 | 163 | 35 | 13 | 27 | 27 | 216 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Banks Peninsula - Hickory Bay may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
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