
Surf Forecasts:
Lake Ferry surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 7s period, S swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, S swell with 1,003 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 2.0m and 8s. 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 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) 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 2.2m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lake Ferry over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lake Ferry over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead, so don’t get your hopes up too high. We’ve got a long gap of nothing much to start with, so patience is the name of the game.
The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 4th through to Monday the 7th of September are all “poor surf conditions” with a messy cross-offshore breeze ripping in at 28 to 28 mph. The swell is tiny to start, around 1.0 ft to 2 ft, and combined wave energy is weak (85 to 142). It’s a proper no-go for a paddle. Honestly, the wind and chop are so strong, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
We finally get a break in the weather on Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. The wind drops to glassy – dead calm, 0 mph – and the swell is a clean 3 ft from the SSW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (159). It’s not big, but it’s surfable. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual. Still, it’s a small window, and the afternoon turns onshore again.
Wednesday the 9th gives us a little more hope. A light offshore breeze from the NNE at 3 mph in the morning, with a 2 ft swell from the S at 9 seconds. It’s clean, but the energy is weak (103). If you’re desperate for a trim, it’s worth a paddle, but it’s very ordinary.
Then we hit another dry spell from Thursday the 10th through to Sunday the 13th. The wind picks up, and the swell gets bigger but messy. Sunday the 13th afternoon sees a massive 10 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a whopping 4150 – very strong. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, but the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s probably a washing machine. The sandbar setup at Lake Ferry won’t handle that size well.
Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are okay but not standout. Tuesday morning has a light 6 mph cross-offshore breeze, a 4 ft swell from the S at 10 seconds, and moderate energy (286). The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” but the score is low. It’s clean, but small.
The standout for the whole period – and the only real highlight – is looking like Saturday the 12th of September morning. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNW at 12 mph, the swell is a solid 8 ft from the SSW with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is very strong (1814). The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” but of everything on offer, this is the best bet. It’s big – expert-only territory – but if you’re experienced and the tide lines up, it could be a proper session. The longer period gives it some grunt, but on a sandbar, it might be a bit straight. Keep an eye on it.
After that, the second week trails off. Thursday the 17th of September morning has a 7 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and cross-offshore wind, but it’s marginal. The rest is small, onshore, or just ordinary. The 19th of September morning has a tiny 1.0 ft swell with a very long 20-second period and light offshore wind – it’s clean but barely surfable.
So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a bust. The best window is Saturday the 12th morning for the big stuff, or Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th for a tiny, clean paddle. The second week is thin and uncertain. It’s a tough run, but it tends not to stay poor for long around here – forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Fri morning, light winds from the SW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed afternoon, min 8°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the NNW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | ESE 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 20 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
34 | 48 | 118 | 41 | 267 | 140 | 223 | 201 | 97 | 210 | 569 | 1003 | 527 | 226 | 230 | 92 | 40 | 25 | 38 | 101 | 79 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | on | on | on | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 3:15AM1.26m | 3:46PM1.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:28AM0.02m | 10:07PM0.06m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SW 14 |
34 | 15 | 118 | 28 | 267 | 140 | 223 | 201 | 52 | 37 | 22 | 3 | 527 | 55 | 44 | 92 | 35 | 25 | 38 | 101 | 53 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SE 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | — | NW 9 | S 13 | — | S 9 | S 9 | SE 7 | SSW 13 | S 23 | SSW 20 |
30 | 48 | 42 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 91 | 97 | 47 | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | — | 43 | 40 | 8 | 35 | 11 | 79 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 10 | SE 10 | S 10 | E 10 | SE 10 | — | — | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | N 9 | — | S 21 | S 19 | SSW 12 | SE 7 | E 10 | SSW 9 |
21 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | — | NW 4 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | WNW 6 |
655 | 195 | 193 | 122 | 124 | 192 | 317 | 386 | 137 | 210 | 569 | 1003 | 432 | 226 | 230 | — | 33 | 360 | 339 | 107 | 164 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 150 | 130 | 305 | 82 | 82 | 94 | 91 | 82 | 82 | 64 | 64 | 84 | 91 | 130 | 64 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 82 | 84 | 64 |
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.










