
Surf Forecasts:
Lake Ferry surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 6 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with 5,296 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 5 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 6s 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 Sunday (Jul 05) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lake Ferry in the next 16 days are 5.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) 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 1.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 04) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 5th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Mon 6th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a tough stretch at Lake Ferry. For the first few days, it’s flat, with tiny 0.7ft leftovers that just aren’t worth paddling out for. You’d be better off staying on dry land for Friday, July 3rd, through the weekend. The water is hovering around 52.5°F, which is a bit colder than what we’re used to for this time of year, so that’s a sting in the arm if you do go in.
That all changes Monday, July 6th. The swell jumps to 7.2ft from the SSW, but it’s a mess. That 8-second period is short and crumbly, and the wind is howling from the SSE at 22 mph with a cross-on push, creating moderate wave energy (954). It’s choppy and lumpy – honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Late Monday afternoon, the wind drops to a glassy 3 mph, and a big 11.5ft SSW groundswell rolls in. The combined energy is very strong (2922), but it’s simply too much water for this sandbar. This is expert territory only, and even then, it’s a challenge.
Now, Tuesday, July 7th, is your standout window. The swell settles to a solid 7.9ft from the south, with a 10-second period. The wind is a light 9 mph from the east, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. The energy is still strong (1322), but the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The water temps are still on the chilly side, but the clean lines are the story here. This is the best on offer, no question.
The rest of the week into the weekend gets rowdy. Wednesday and Thursday, July 8th and 9th, see the swell pump up again to 11.5ft and 16.4ft with strong SSW winds. The energy is through the roof (2612 and 5318), but it’s a howling cross-onshore mess. On Friday, July 10th, the swell is still massive, around 13.1ft, but again, too big for the break to handle.
We get a bit of a letdown starting the second week. Sunday, July 12th, has a 4.6ft groundswell from the SSW with a long, drawn-out 16-second period. The wind is a cross-on 12 mph, so it’s messy, and the energy is moderate (1085). That long period will make it barreling but tricky at a sandbar.
For the rest of that week, it’s small and weak. Monday, July 13th, has 3.0ft and low energy (205). By Tuesday, July 14th, it’s down to 2.3ft from the SE. The wind is a light cross-off, so the surface is clean, but it’s tiny. This run of small, ordinary surf looks like it’ll stick around through Wednesday, July 15th.
Towards the end of the 16-day window, we see another pulse. On Thursday, July 16th, a 8.2ft SSW swell with a short 7-second period pops up. The wind is light and cross-on, so it’s lumpy and marginal. By Friday, July 17th, it’s back to 9.8ft, with a cross-shore wind that makes it only fair for the brave.
Overall, the only real, honest-to-goodness standout is Tuesday morning, July 7th. Get out there if you can handle it. The rest is a battle with either too much, too little, or a messy wind.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 7°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 11°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the SSE 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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | SW 15 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 342 | 604 | 2598 | 2488 | 1184 | 1055 | 606 | 477 | 1313 | 976 | 2592 | 5296 | 3885 | 3166 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:32PM1.20m | 7:53AM1.05m | 8:16PM1.18m | 8:37AM1.05m | 8:59PM1.17m | 9:22AM1.06m | 9:43PM1.17m | 10:07AM1.09m | 10:28PM1.17m | 10:55AM1.14m | 11:17PM1.18m | 11:45AM1.20m | 00:08AM1.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:58AM0.23m | 2:01PM0.23m | 2:41AM0.23m | 2:45PM0.23m | 3:23AM0.22m | 3:30PM0.22m | 4:04AM0.20m | 4:17PM0.21m | 4:47AM0.18m | 5:06PM0.18m | 5:32AM0.15m | 5:58PM0.15m | 6:20AM0.12m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | |
5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | 5:05 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 6 | — | — | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 13 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 11 |
20 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 604 | 64 | 2488 | 1184 | 1055 | 606 | 68 | 586 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 9 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 10 | S 17 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | ESE 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | ESE 12 | — | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — |
13 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 124 | 41 | 51 | 89 | 81 | 27 | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | — | — | — | S 16 | — | NW 9 | NW 9 | SW 14 | SSW 19 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | ESE 10 | — | — | SSW 17 | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 3 | 3 | 7 | 136 | — | 87 | 91 | 21 | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 4 | SSW 7 | E 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
148 | 260 | 83 | 102 | 59 | 76 | 6 | 342 | 306 | 2598 | — | — | — | — | 477 | 1313 | 976 | 2592 | 5296 | 3885 | 3166 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 34 | 27 | 27 | 130 | 34 | 27 | 106 | 160 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 34 | 151 | 172 | 130 | 236 | 236 | 240 | 164 | 112 |
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.











