Lake Ferry Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.40° S 175.15° E

Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lake Ferry sea temperature is
10.7° C
1.2° 

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 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 2,430 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Lake Ferry in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Fri 21st Aug)5ft (1.5m) 12s
Best Surf 9AM (Mon 24th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 12s
Most Powerful 9AM (Mon 24th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Lake Ferry’s been doin’ its thing, but this 16-day run is a real mixed bag. The water’s sittin’ at 51°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year – you’ll want a good steamer.

The first proper window to paddle out is Thursday 20th August afternoon. The lake’s got a solid 5ft S swell pumping in, and the glassy conditions with that light SW breeze at 3 mph are gonna make for some super clean lines. The wave energy is strong (512), and while the tide is often a factor here, that glassiness is a real rare treat. It’s not gonna be the biggest, but it’ll be your best bet for a fun, uncrowded session on the sandbar.

Come Friday 21st August, the morning’s got a similar 5ft S swell, but the period jumps to a very long 15 seconds – this is proper groundswell. The NE wind is offshore at 6 mph, so it’ll be clean, but with that long period, the sandbar might make ‘em a bit straight. The wave energy is enormous (1239), so it’s for experienced surfers only. Friday afternoon drops to 5ft S swell with an NNW cross-off breeze, still offering clean waves but less grunt.

Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd are a write-off. The wind hits 25 mph, absolutely destroying the lake. Flick it off, it’s not worth it.

The next real standout is Monday 24th August, but here’s the catch. The morning has a massive 10ft SSW swell with a 14-second period – huge energy (3562). The NNE breeze at 6 mph is offshore, so it’ll look incredible, but it’s way too big for this break. That’s expert territory or kite-surfing conditions only. Same story for the afternoon – 10ft, clean cross-off wind, but too much muscle.

After that, the lake goes quiet with small, marginal swell from Tuesday 25th through to the end of the month. There’s the odd 5ft bump, but it’s crossed up and messy.

Now, look ahead to Sunday 31st August. The morning brings a pumping 8ft SSW swell with a 14-second period – this is big (4199 energy) and the glassy conditions with a light SW breeze will make it look perfect. But fair warning, at 8ft it’s only for experienced surfers. The afternoon on the 31st gets even bigger at 12ft and that’s straight into the “too big” category for Lake Ferry.

Then it’s a whole lot of blowy rubbish from Monday 1st September until Thursday 3rd. The wind goes wild again. There’s a glimmer of hope on Friday 4th September with a nice 6ft S swell, clean as a whistle with light offshore NNE wind in the morning and a dead calm, glassy afternoon. That’s a proper little window to circle.

So, the pick of the bunch is Thursday 20th August afternoon for that glassy, manageable swell. For the experienced crew, the Friday 21st August morning and Sunday 31st August morning offer real power. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big. Keep an eye on the forecast, ‘cause a blank run here is pretty normal.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, strong winds from the NW by Sat night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds.

Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
!
3
2
2
2
0
3
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
S
12
1.6
S
15
1.4
SSW
13
1.2
S
12
1
S
11
0.9
S
11
0.7
S
10
0.4
S
10
0.3
S
10
0.9
SSW
7
3
SSW
12
2.4
SSW
12
1.6
SSW
11
1.1
SSW
10
1.2
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
1.1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
773
1232
669
397
247
188
100
31
16
75
2430
1659
593
265
605
431
604
376
242
Wind (km/h)
5
NNE
10
NE
15
N
30
NNW
40
NNW
40
NW
40
NW
35
NW
30
WNW
30
WNW
10
N
15
NNW
20
NNW
15
NNW
25
NNW
30
NNW
10
NNW
10
SE
10
NE
Wind State
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
11:17PM1.14m
11:42AM1.21m
00:03AM1.12m
12:27PM1.21m
00:48AM1.10m
1:11PM1.20m
1:31AM1.09m
1:55PM1.20m
2:14AM1.09m
2:39PM1.20m
2:57AM1.08m
3:23PM1.20m
Low Tide
5:26AM0.20m
5:59PM0.22m
6:10AM0.22m
6:44PM0.24m
6:53AM0.24m
7:28PM0.25m
7:35AM0.24m
8:12PM0.26m
8:18AM0.23m
8:56PM0.26m
9:02AM0.22m
9:41PM0.25m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:01
7:00
6:58
6:56
6:56
6:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:43
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:47
 mm
1
6
Temp °C
8
12
12
10
13
13
13
14
12
10
13
13
10
14
15
13
14
12
12
Feels °C
6
10
9
5
5
5
6
6
5
2
9
9
6
10
11
7
12
10
10
  • 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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