Stent Road Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for Stent Road over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s a tease of a forecast – plenty of swell, but the wind is going to be a battle for most of it. This is an advanced reef and point break that loves a solid SW groundswell, and we get plenty of that, but the timing with the weather is going to keep things interesting.

The window opens with a pulse of long-period SW groundswell pushing through Friday the 21st. We’re looking at 5ft of WSW swell with a period of 13-14 seconds, and the wave energy is moderate to strong (870-1030). Problem is, we’ve got onshore W winds at 9 mph, so the surface is going to be lumpy and pretty ordinary. The combined energy is there, but the quality isn't. The rest of that weekend and into the start of the next week is a write-off – a gap of several days with nothing you’d want to paddle out into. The wind gets howling from the WNW up to 28 mph, pushing that swell up to a wild 15ft with a short, messy period of 10 seconds. The energy readings are through the roof (3818) but it’s straight-up dangerous and blown out. The following Monday and Tuesday keep that massive swell (10-15ft) but with relentless cross-onshore winds. The combined energy is huge (3783-8678) but this is strictly expert territory, and even then, the conditions are poor.

We get a bit of a reprieve mid-week, from Wednesday the 26th morning. The swell drops to a more manageable 8ft, still from the WSW with a long period of 13-14 seconds. The wind goes light onshore, then swings light NW – clean enough for a determined surfer to get some long rides on that point, but marginal. By Thursday the 27th, the wind finally goes cross-offshore from the NE (12 mph), and the swell is still a solid 6ft. That clean surface is a welcome change, with the energy at 1337. It’s still a marginal call, but it’s the first chance in a while for a decent session. The sea temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

Now, the real standout in the entire outlook is Monday the 31st of August. That morning is an absolute gift. We’ve got a clean 4ft of SW groundswell with a 15-second period, glassy conditions with no wind at all, and the wave energy is a solid 1018. Under clear skies, the point at Stent Road should set up with long, clean lines. The ‘glass’ state and light air wind are what we live for. It’s not massive, but the quality will be exceptional for an advanced surfer. The crowd situation? This spot can get busy often, so get in early.

After that beautiful Monday, the surf fades. Tuesday the 1st of September still has clean, cross-offshore winds and 4ft of swell, but the energy drops (537). By Wednesday the 2nd, the swell has collapsed to 2ft with strong cross-offshore wind, and it’s basically flat. There is a brief spike of short-period NW swell on the 3rd of September at 6ft, but it’s messy, and then we drop back to small, onshore junk through to the end of the outlook. The last mention is Saturday the 5th of September with 8ft of short-period WSW swell, but the cross-onshore wind will make it a choppy mess.

Bottom line: Garden-variety conditions for most of the run, with big messy swell in the first week. The absolute best bet is the morning of Monday the 31st of August – glassy, clean, and with lovely long-period groundswell. That is the one to circle. The rest? Watch and wait. This is Rusty, signing off.

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