
Surf Forecasts:
Lake Ferry surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with 5,369 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 15s. 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 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here. Right off the bat, I’m looking at this stretch and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming, but you’re going to have to pick your moments carefully. The first few days are pretty grim, so don’t get too excited about getting wet straight away. The waves are there, but the quality is all over the shop. The real standout window is the weekend, but it comes with a huge caveat.
The first real hope shows up on Saturday the 12th. The morning session at Lake Ferry is nothing to write home about – a cross-on wind with 6ft of SSW swell. But the afternoon is where it gets interesting. The swell jumps up to 12ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the energy readings are huge. We’re talking a strong to very strong combined energy of 3888. The wind and tide are favorable, but honestly, that size is just too much for this sandbar. It’s going to be wild out there. The swell direction matches the optimum (S), but this is only for the experienced crew. If you’re not a pro, find something else to do. This is the biggest swell of the period by a long shot.
Sunday the 13th settles down a bit, but it’s still sizable. 7ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, both from the SSW with a 13-second period and a cross-on wind. It’s still big, pushing past that 8ft mark in the afternoon, so again, it's expert territory. It’s still got that strong energy (1509 and 3297), but those cross-on conditions are going to make it messy.
Monday the 14th is the pick of the bunch for me. The morning glass-off with a cross-off wind from the NNW is a major positive. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the S with a 12-second period. The energy is moderate (1140) but it's clean. For an exposed sandbar, this is the best combination of size and clean conditions we get. It’s what I’d call the standout for experienced surfers. The water is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.
After that, things start to soften. Tuesday the 15th has some clean 3ft surf in the morning, but the energy drops right off (265). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The wind is offshore from the N, which is good, but it lacks punch.
The rest of the week is a write-off. A big blast of NW wind on Wednesday the 16th kills any idea of good surf – the swell drops to 2ft and the energy is weak. Thursday the 17th gives us a brief moment of glassy 4ft waves in the morning with light wind, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be weak and crumbly. It’s a small window that won’t last.
Next weekend (the 19th and 20th) is pretty flat. There’s nothing on offer. We then slide into a longer gap where a run of poor conditions takes over. The wind is up and the swell is inconsistent, so you’re looking at a few days of nothing from the back half of the 21st through to the 24th. The end of the window on the 25th has a bit of swell but the cross-shore wind messes it up.
So, if you’re looking for a wave, Saturday afternoon the 12th is the one for the brave – it’s big, raw, and powerful. But for a more realistic session that’s still got some size and clean conditions, hit Monday morning the 14th. That’s your window. It’s not a long period of glory, but there’s something there for someone.
Catch you in the water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 6°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Wed night, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 6°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 | SSW 17 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | 18 | 138 | 456 | 344 | 119 | 348 | 1324 | 3888 | 3560 | 1509 | 1961 | 1405 | 1136 | 786 | 374 | 186 | 180 | 160 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:15AM1.26m | 3:46PM1.38m | 4:10AM1.26m | 4:40PM1.35m | 5:05AM1.26m | 5:34PM1.31m | 6:00AM1.25m | 6:28PM1.27m | 6:54AM1.25m | 7:22PM1.23m | 7:48AM1.25m | 8:14PM1.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:12PM0.05m | 9:28AM0.02m | 10:07PM0.06m | 10:25AM0.02m | 11:02PM0.06m | 11:22AM0.04m | 11:56PM0.08m | 12:20PM0.07m | 00:49AM0.10m | 1:15PM0.10m | 1:40AM0.12m | 2:10PM0.13m | 2:30AM0.15m | ||||||
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | NW 6 | SSW 14 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 12 |
12 | 11 | 6 | 105 | 117 | 48 | 348 | 1324 | 3888 | 3560 | 1509 | 1336 | 1405 | 1136 | 786 | 374 | 186 | 180 | 160 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSW 14 | ESE 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 14 | NW 5 | E 7 | ENE 13 | — | NW 4 | — | NE 12 | E 14 | NW 3 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
6 | 18 | 6 | 71 | 344 | 115 | 4 | 4 | 17 | — | 9 | — | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 76 | 5 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | ESE 8 | S 22 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 17 | E 7 | NE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 9 | E 12 | E 9 | E 9 |
6 | 6 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 119 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 | — | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | SSW 13 | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NW 6 |
200 | 59 | 138 | 456 | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 1961 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 22 | 340 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 94 | 82 | 64 | 64 | 9 | 82 | 42 | 18 | 42 | 9 | 42 | 64 | 9 | 9 | 47 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 27 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










