Lake Ferry Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.40° S 175.15° E

Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lake Ferry sea temperature is
12.4°C
0.4° 

Lake Ferry surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Lake Ferry surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SSW swell with 3,463 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s 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 (Sep 07) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Lake Ferry in the next 16 days are 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Mon 7th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Best Surf 3PM (Mon 7th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Most Powerful12PM (Mon 7th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Lake Ferry. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch ain’t lookin’ too flash for a lot of it. The wind is a constant battle, and the swell’s either too small or too messy for most of the run. We’ve got a 16-day window, but there’s a big ol’ gap of poor conditions right through the first week and a half. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Saturday the 13th of September.

Let’s start with the early stuff. Thursday the 3rd of September has a bit of swell, around 5ft from the SSW, but that cross-off wind is a fresh 30 km/h, so it’s gonna be workin’ against you. Nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for. That holds all the way through to the end of the first week. The swell drops right off to 1ft, and the wind stays up – it’s a real frustrating stretch. Then Monday the 7th of September sees a massive pulse of 13ft swell from the SSW, but it’s onshore, messy, and the combined energy is a wild 2700 – that’s a lot of juice, but it’s way too big for this sandbar, and the wind is just ruinin’ it. The afternoon looks a bit better with a 12ft swell, but it’s still too big and cross-on. Not a paddle session, that’s for sure.

The first real chance comes on Saturday the 13th of September, and it’s a beauty in the morning. Lake Ferry’s a sandbar, so it’s always a bit of a gamble, but this is the standout. You’ve got a solid 7ft groundswell from the SSW, with a period of 12 seconds – that’s good energy. The wind is light from the NNW, just 10 km/h and cross-off, so it’s gonna be clean and glassy. The combined energy is 1230, which is moderate-strong, so there’s some punch. This is for experienced surfers only, though – that size is beyond beginner territory. It’s fairly consistent, but crowds are possible, so don’t expect a lonely lineup. The water temp is around 54°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Then we get another crack on Wednesday the 16th of September. The morning is special – glassy conditions with the wind dead calm from the north, just 5 km/h. The swell is 6ft from the SSW, with a long 14-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and at a sandbar like this, it might be a bit straight, but it’ll still offer some good, clean waves. Again, for experienced surfers only. The afternoon gets messy again with a fresh cross-off breeze, so the morning is the window.

After that, the swell hangs around in the 5ft to 6ft range on the 17th and 18th, but the wind swaps back onshore or cross-off, and the quality drops. There’s nothin’ else that really stands out as worth a serious look.

So, bottom line: don’t get your hopes up for the first week. The Saturday the 13th of September morning is your best bet – clean, solid, and powerful. The Wednesday the 16th of September morning is a close second for the glassy conditions, even if the swell’s a little smaller. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, that’s the pick.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Mainly strong winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun morning, calm by Tue night).

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
!
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SSW
12
1.1
S
12
0.9
SSW
11
0.4
SSW
10
0.3
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
7
0.3
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
10
0.7
SSW
10
0.7
SSW
16
0.6
SSW
15
0.3
SSW
16
4
SSW
9
3.5
SSW
9
1.9
S
9
0.9
SSW
8
0.8
SSE
8
0.6
SSE
8
0.7
SSW
7
0.5
SE
9
0.5
SSW
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
579
336
194
34
48
77
41
100
81
215
184
49
2700
2060
554
115
78
57
49
36
47
Wind (km/h)
30
NW
40
NW
30
NW
45
NNW
35
WNW
30
NW
30
NW
30
NW
35
NW
30
NW
35
NW
15
NNW
25
S
20
SSE
10
NE
25
NNW
15
SW
15
S
15
NNW
25
NNW
40
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-on
off
cross-off
on
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
9:23AM1.26m
9:50PM1.20m
10:17AM1.31m
10:43PM1.21m
11:11AM1.35m
11:37PM1.23m
12:06PM1.38m
00:31AM1.24m
1:01PM1.40m
1:26AM1.25m
1:56PM1.40m
2:20AM1.25m
2:51PM1.40m
Low Tide
3:45PM0.12m
4:02AM0.12m
4:38PM0.10m
4:54AM0.09m
5:32PM0.09m
5:46AM0.07m
6:27PM0.07m
6:40AM0.04m
7:22PM0.06m
7:35AM0.03m
8:17PM0.06m
8:31AM0.02m
9:12PM0.05m
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:39
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
6:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:59
6:00
6:00
6:01
 mm
2
8
2
2
Temp °C
15
15
14
16
15
11
14
13
12
14
14
14
9
9
6
13
12
8
12
13
12
Feels °C
8
8
9
9
7
4
7
6
5
6
7
10
3
4
3
7
9
3
6
7
5
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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