
Surf Forecasts:
Lake Ferry surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, SSW swell with 5,358 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lake Ferry this week:
The surf forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lake Ferry in the next 16 days are 3.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Lake Ferry is a real mixed bag. We’ve got some serious size coming through, but the wind and conditions are going to be a battle for most of the 16 days. There’s a solid window of good, clean surf early on, but after that, it gets pretty ugly for a long stretch, before a late pulse of huge swell shows up. Don’t go expecting a classic run; we’ve got to pick our moments.
The first real highlight is Monday morning, July 20th. The swell is pumping at 8 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 18 seconds – that’s pure groundswell energy. The combined energy is a thumping 3580 (moderate-strong), and the wind is glassy, dead calm. That’s a perfect recipe for clean, lined-up waves at Lake Ferry, but at that size and with that long period, this is definitely advanced territory. The water is sitting at 52°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget a good hood.
We’ve got a few other decent sessions. Tuesday morning, July 21st, brings 7 ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, clean offshore wind from the NNE, and the energy is 1622 (moderate). It’s a good option for the experienced crew. Tuesday afternoon stays clean with a 6 ft SSW swell. Then Wednesday morning, July 22nd, sees a drop to 4 ft S swell with glassy conditions, but it’s small and the energy is only 341 (weak). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.
After that, we hit a rough patch. From Thursday, July 23rd, right through to Wednesday, July 30th, the conditions are pretty poor. Winds are strong, mostly cross-off or onshore, and the swell is either too small or too messy. There’s a big spike on Sunday, July 26th, with 7 ft SSW swell, but it’s blown out by a fresh cross-shore wind. Not worth paddling out for.
Now, the real standout is Thursday, July 30th. This is a beast. The swell is 16 ft from the SSW with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 7296 on the morning and 7882 in the afternoon (very strong). That is a huge, powerful swell. The winds are light, but the file warns that this is too big for this break. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, you’ll need to be on your A-game. The long period (12s) at this size is going to be a freight train.
Finally, Friday, July 31st, offers a clean-up set with 8 ft S swell, a 12-second period, and light offshore winds from the NNE. The energy is 2048 (moderate-strong), and conditions are clean. This is another solid option for experienced surfers, but it’s a long way out – so keep an eye on the forecasts.
Overall, if you’re a confident surfer, the Monday morning glass-off is your best bet. The 30th of July is a proper big-wave day, but only for the brave. The rest of the period is mostly a write-off with strong winds. Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SE 16 | SSW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1875 | 1842 | 1776 | 3416 | 5358 | 2943 | 1610 | 1058 | 598 | 336 | 330 | 231 | 113 | 49 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 18 | 43 | 939 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 9:10PM1.34m | 9:39AM1.25m | 10:05PM1.28m | 10:34AM1.23m | 10:57PM1.22m | 11:27AM1.22m | 11:48PM1.17m | 12:16PM1.21m | 00:35AM1.14m | 1:02PM1.20m | 1:21AM1.11m | 1:47PM1.20m | 2:05AM1.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:57PM0.02m | 3:32AM0.04m | 3:54PM0.07m | 4:24AM0.07m | 4:48PM0.12m | 5:13AM0.12m | 5:40PM0.17m | 6:00AM0.16m | 6:30PM0.21m | 6:45AM0.20m | 7:18PM0.24m | 7:28AM0.22m | 8:04PM0.25m | ||||||||
7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | S 10 | NW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 9 |
1875 | 1842 | 1776 | 3416 | 5358 | 2943 | 1610 | 1058 | 598 | 336 | 330 | 231 | 113 | 49 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 33 | 939 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 | SE 11 | S 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 14 | SE 16 | SSW 15 |
68 | 65 | 38 | 37 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 61 | 28 | 23 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 43 | 47 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 19 | ESE 12 | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | ESE 11 | SE 11 | E 12 | E 11 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 9 | SSW 14 | S 8 | SSW 16 | SE 15 |
— | — | 125 | 127 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 22 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 5 | 25 | 57 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | SW 4 | — | NNW 3 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | W 4 | — | NW 6 | WNW 7 | — |
— | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | 3 | — | 10 | 89 | 215 | 177 | 6 | — | 171 | 500 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 42 | 64 | 9 | 9 | 47 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 106 | 9 | 9 | 31 | 158 | 154 | 130 | 283 | 34 | 130 | 91 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Lake Ferry Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lake Ferry provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lake Ferry can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lake Ferry 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 (Lake Ferry) 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 Lake Ferry 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.
Lake Ferry is 28 km (17 miles) from Lower Hutt. If you plan a holiday in The Wairarapa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Lower Hutt. Lower Hutt has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










