Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with 15,602 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Stent Road this week:
The surf forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Stent Road in the next 16 days are 6.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 6AM. 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 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 20ft (6.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 20ft (6.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a good hard look at Stent Road over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid pulse of swell from the WSW lining up, and Stent Road is a classic reef and point setup that loves that direction. The first few days, though, are a bit of a write-off. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th morning have some clean windows, but the wind is a problem. Thursday morning is the standout early on – we’ve got a clean 7 ft swell from the WSW with a 13-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the NNE. That’s going to be clean, punchy, and set up beautifully for the experienced crew. The combined energy is a solid 1483 (moderate energy), so there’s enough push to get you into some proper waves. Water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.
Friday the 28th gets messy quick. The morning sees a strong 25 mph cross-off wind, which makes for a clean surface but it’s going to be tough to hold your line, and the swell is short period at 9 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell. Stay away.
The real magic is on Saturday the 29th morning. Clear skies, glassy conditions, a 8 ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is 1853 (moderate energy). This is the best on offer in the first week. The glassy wind will make it silky smooth, and the reef handles long-period groundswell beautifully. It’s for advanced surfers, and it’s consistent, so you’ll get waves. Crowds are often a thing here, so expect company.
Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are a total no-go. The swell jumps to 12 ft and then 20 ft, wind is onshore or cross-on, and the energy readings are 3005 and 15550 (strong to very strong energy). That’s too big for paddle surfing, and the wind will make it a washing machine. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The first week of September is a wasteland of poor conditions. Strong winds, messy seas, and the swell is either too big or too messy. It’s a blank run from Monday the 31st through to Saturday the 5th of September.
Then, on Sunday the 6th of September, we get a second standout. The morning is glassy, with a 8 ft WSW swell at a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is 3708 (strong energy). This is proper groundswell, and for a reef point like Stent Road, that’s a dream. The waves will have shape, power, and long gaps between sets. It’s for experienced surfers, consistent, and the glassy conditions will make it world-class. This is the best of the whole forecast – but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.
From Monday the 7th of September onward, the swell stays around 8 ft to 8 ft, with a fresh cross-off wind from the NNE. It’s clean, but the wind picks up. The waves are still there, but the magic is gone after that Sunday morning.
So, if you’re chasing the best, you’ve got two narrow windows: Thursday morning the 27th of August for a quick clean session, and Sunday morning the 6th of September for the absolute gem. The rest is mostly windblown or too big.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Thu morning, strong winds from the NNE by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri night, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the SW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | W 9 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
2452 | 2358 | 2277 | 1901 | 1387 | 1051 | 359 | 1065 | 1571 | 1201 | 1702 | 1176 | 822 | 2458 | 4045 | 13000 | 15529 | 11184 | 6844 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:37AM2.67m | 8:58PM2.88m | 9:15AM2.83m | 9:33PM3.04m | 9:50AM2.97m | 10:06PM3.16m | 10:24AM3.07m | 10:39PM3.23m | 10:58AM3.12m | 11:13PM3.24m | 11:33AM3.13m | 11:48PM3.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:31AM0.66m | 2:43PM0.52m | 3:08AM0.47m | 3:20PM0.36m | 3:44AM0.30m | 3:55PM0.23m | 4:18AM0.17m | 4:30PM0.15m | 4:52AM0.09m | 5:05PM0.12m | 5:27AM0.07m | 5:42PM0.16m | |||||||
— | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | — | WSW 13 | SSE 8 | — | — |
2452 | 2358 | 2277 | 1901 | 1387 | 1051 | 335 | 1065 | 1571 | 1201 | 1702 | 1176 | 492 | 547 | — | 13000 | 21 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 90 | 100 | 359 | 321 | 307 | 265 | 254 | 140 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 18 | S 5 | WSW 16 | W 24 | W 24 | WSW 22 | WSW 21 | W 21 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | 146 | 11 | 11 | 49 | 151 | 221 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | N 6 | N 7 | — | — | — | W 9 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | — | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 328 | 453 | — | — | — | 822 | 2458 | 4045 | — | 15529 | 11184 | 6844 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 243 | 112 | 232 | 217 | 0 | 3 | 87 | 273 | 228 | 217 | 0 | 17 | 112 | 112 | 274 | 169 | 28 | 243 | 180 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Taranaki | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Stent Road Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Stent Road provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Stent Road can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Stent Road 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 (Stent Road) 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 Stent Road 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Taranaki? If you are looking for accommodation near Stent Road, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Taranaki, consider staying in New Plymouth which is 33 km (20 miles) away.











