
Surf Forecasts:
Lake Ferry surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, SSW swell with 671 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period with S 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 26) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 14s. 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 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Lake Ferry.
First thing you gotta know is, the water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sittin’ at 52°F. That ain’t a huge shock, but you’ll feel that nip.
Honestly, mate, the next few days are a write-off. We’re talkin’ a gap from now right through to the 27th of July with nothing worth paddling out for. It’s a bit of a dud stretch. The swell that’s around is messy, short-period stuff from the S and SSW, with fresh breezes dirtyin’ it up. The combined energy is weak to moderate at best, and it’s just poor surf conditions.
We get a little flicker of hope on the morning of the 28th of July. It’s not big—3ft from the SE—but the wind goes glassy by the afternoon, with the period pushin’ 13 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, and it’s gonna wrap in here clean. Combined energy is still on the weaker side, but for a Lake Ferry sandbar, that’s a nice little window. Crowds are possible here, so you might not have it all to yourself.
The 29th and 30th are a step back. Swell drops off to 2ft or less, and the wind gets up again. Not worth your time.
Then we get a real standout on the 5th of August. That Wednesday morning, we’ve got an 12ft SSW swell rolling in with clean offshore breezes from the NE. The combined energy is massive. But let’s keep it real—that’s too big for this break. It’s a paddlin’ mission for experts only, and the wave will be walled up and heavy. The direction is bang on from the SSW, which is the optimum here, but the size is a problem unless you’re a seasoned charger.
The true standout, the one you wanna circle on the calendar, is the 6th of August. Thursday morning, 7ft SSW swell, period of 12 seconds, and light offshore wind from the NNE. The combined energy is strong, and the conditions are clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers—big enough to get your heart pumpin’, but not so big it’s out of control. It’s a solid, powerful groundswell that’ll hold up on the sandbar. That’s the pick of the run.
The 7th and 8th of August keep the quality high, with 8ft to 7ft swells from the S, glassy conditions, and clean offshore winds. The energy is still strong, and the waves will be punchy. Again, these are for the crew who know what they’re doin’. The S direction is a touch off the optimum, but the quality of the conditions makes up for it.
After that, we fade into the 9th of August with a drop in size and some onshore wind creepin’ back in. It’s lookin’ marginal again.
So, bottom line: the first week’s a mess. The 28th has a tiny window for a clean, long-period ride. The 5th is a beast for experts only. The absolute best on offer is the 6th of August—7ft, 12-second SSW groundswell, clean offshore wind. That’s the day to be on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 10°C on Tue morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the NW by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
633 | 671 | 221 | 156 | 82 | 106 | 239 | 189 | 220 | 230 | 151 | 113 | 86 | 75 | 116 | 74 | 69 | 40 | 36 | 77 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:05AM1.10m | 2:30PM1.21m | 2:49AM1.09m | 3:14PM1.21m | 3:33AM1.09m | 3:58PM1.22m | 4:17AM1.08m | 4:43PM1.22m | 5:02AM1.08m | 5:28PM1.21m | 5:47AM1.07m | 6:13PM1.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:04PM0.25m | 8:11AM0.24m | 8:49PM0.26m | 8:55AM0.24m | 9:34PM0.26m | 9:39AM0.23m | 10:20PM0.26m | 10:24AM0.22m | 11:06PM0.25m | 11:10AM0.21m | 11:52PM0.24m | 11:57AM0.21m | 00:38AM0.23m | |||||||
— | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 |
Temp °C | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 18 | SE 16 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SE 15 | SE 15 |
30 | 65 | 221 | 156 | 82 | 88 | 70 | 189 | 220 | 230 | 151 | 113 | 86 | 56 | 116 | 74 | 69 | 28 | 36 | 77 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 12 | SSW 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SSW 12 | ESE 13 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 |
48 | 49 | 55 | 52 | 60 | 54 | 61 | 35 | 88 | 62 | 38 | 20 | 41 | 75 | 47 | 27 | 24 | 12 | 17 | 22 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | — | — | — | S 16 | SSW 9 | SSW 17 | NE 5 | — | SE 12 | SE 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 |
7 | 63 | 54 | 78 | 69 | 35 | 63 | 99 | — | — | — | 5 | 8 | 55 | 1 | — | 5 | 40 | 11 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | — | — | — | S 7 | SSW 11 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | — |
633 | 671 | — | — | — | 106 | 239 | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | 52 | 99 | 214 | 190 | 138 | 50 | 22 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 106 | 64 | 9 | 64 | 31 | 64 | 64 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 34 | 82 | 82 | 31 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
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.










