Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, WSW swell with 8,273 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Stent Road for the next couple of weeks. This is a serious, advanced reef and point break that needs a solid SW groundswell and clean conditions to really fire. The water’s sitting at 58°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year – no weird anomalies.
The first real standout is Tuesday the 18th, first thing in the morning. We’ve got a clean 6ft WSW groundswell rolling in with a 14-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the SSE keeping the face glassy. The combined energy is pumping at 1166, so there’s plenty of punch. This is the best of the first week – proper waves for experienced surfers only, and you might have company as crowds are often here.
That Tuesday arvo, the wind swings cross-on and it gets a bit choppy, so the morning is the clear winner.
Wednesday the 19th morning has clean 4ft surf with a very long 17-second period, but it’s a bit small and the 19 mph cross-off wind will keep it tidy. Still, the period is so long it might wrap a bit straight for the beach section – better on the point.
After Wednesday, things get messy. Thursday the 20th has onshore wind and unknown conditions, Friday gets choppy, and Saturday the 22nd is a write-off with poor surf. Sunday the 23rd jumps up to 12ft but it’s onshore and blown out – not worth it.
Now, here’s the real heavy-hitter. Monday the 24th of August morning sees a massive 13ft WSW groundswell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is a staggering 14717 – that’s extreme power. This is for expert chargers only. The wind is onshore from the west at 12 mph, so it’ll be lumpy and dangerous. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup is way more interesting than paddling. Still, the sheer size and period mean there’ll be some insane, freight-train walls for those brave enough.
The rest of that week drops to 10–12ft but the wind stays onshore or cross-on, keeping it average. Wednesday the 27th has a shorter 8-second period windswell at 8ft – not the quality you want.
The second week gets a bit of a bounce. Sunday the 30th morning has a clean 8ft WSW swell at 12 seconds, with only 3 mph wind – almost glassy. The combined energy is 2937, which is strong, and the cross-on breeze is just a whisper. That’s a promising morning but it’s a long way out, so treat it as a hopeful heads-up.
Monday the 31st morning has a cross-off breeze with 8ft of short-period WSW swell – clean but short. Tuesday the 1st of September morning is clean again, 5ft of SW groundswell at 13 seconds, with a light cross-off – a solid, fun session for the experienced crew.
Overall, the first Tuesday morning is your best bet in the first week. The Monday the 24th morning is a big-wave spectacle for experts only. The second week has a few cleaner windows but nothing that stands out above that first Tuesday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Tue night, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Fri morning, strong winds from the NW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1161 | 1326 | 757 | 650 | 1136 | 1797 | 1484 | 1247 | 863 | 863 | 874 | 413 | 316 | 302 | 938 | 2214 | 2013 | 5622 | 7804 | 7151 | 5722 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 1:22PM2.83m | 1:39AM2.76m | 2:06PM2.64m | 2:23AM2.54m | 2:56PM2.45m | 3:18AM2.34m | 4:01PM2.31m | 4:30AM2.22m | 5:22PM2.27m | 5:53AM2.22m | 6:38PM2.36m | 7:03AM2.33m | 7:35PM2.51m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:36PM0.55m | 7:59AM0.58m | 8:22PM0.78m | 8:47AM0.79m | 9:16PM0.98m | 9:45AM0.96m | 10:25PM1.11m | 10:57AM1.05m | 11:44PM1.12m | 12:12PM1.01m | 00:53AM1.02m | 1:14PM0.88m | 1:47AM0.85m | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 18 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | — | WSW 15 |
1161 | 1326 | 757 | 573 | 523 | 1797 | 1484 | 1247 | 863 | 863 | 874 | 413 | 316 | 261 | 938 | 211 | 249 | 5622 | 7804 | — | 5722 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | S 7 | WSW 13 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | SSE 5 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | — | — | WSW 20 | W 19 | WSW 20 | WSW 15 | — | — | — | — |
5 | 1 | 514 | 650 | 1136 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 38 | 186 | 76 | 126 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 10 | WSW 13 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | S 17 | — | — | — | — | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 104 | 269 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 4 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | S 6 | — | WSW 5 | W 5 | W 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | NW 6 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 7 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | — |
— | — | 10 | 629 | 178 | 15 | — | 32 | 28 | 29 | 45 | 96 | 101 | 302 | 203 | 2214 | 2013 | 279 | 6913 | 7151 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 46 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 250 | 108 | 112 | 243 | 243 | 112 | 223 | 277 | 277 | 277 | 243 | 277 | 243 | 232 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Taranaki | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











