Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 9,075 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Stent Road this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Stent Road in the next 16 days are 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rusty here.
Well, it’s a bit of a tough start for us at Stent Road. The next couple of days are looking pretty ordinary with messy conditions, so there’s a gap before we get anything clean. We’ll have to wait it out a little, but there is some promise in the back half of the window.
First up, Thursday afternoon (the 27th) is your best early look. The swell will be around 7 ft from the WSW with a period of 12 seconds, and combined energy sits at a moderate 1157. We are seeing a small window of moderate cross-offshore breezes that will clean things up nicely. Water temp here at Stent Road is about average for the time of year at 57°F, so a decent winter wetsuit is the call.
Saturday morning (the 29th) is a marginal option only. Swell drops a bit to 7 ft from the WSW but the wind will be cross-onshore and light, which may keep it a bit bumpy and unruly.
Other than that, the next week is mostly a write-off with poor surf conditions and strong onshores. There is some serious size building, but it’s coming with messy winds. From the 31st of August into early September, swells are running 10 to 16 ft but with fresh onshores and heavy chop. At that size and with that wind, this reef and point setup is more in the realm of big-wave experts or possibly kite surfing than friendly paddle surfing.
A genuine standout arrives on Tuesday the 8th of September. This is the best-looking window in the whole forecast. Swell building to a solid 16 to 23 ft, but it will be from the WSW to W, which is well within Stent Road’s optimum SW range. The winds are moderate and cross-onshore. The forecast is calling for “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break” – and at 23 ft, that’s a serious day for experts only. Combined energy is off the charts at 22265. It’s a long-range call, so treat it as promising but keep a close watch on the models.
The following Wednesday (the 9th) and Thursday (the 10th) also hold potential: swells around 15 to 20 ft from the W and WSW, with moderate winds. Thursday afternoon sees a monster period of 19 seconds, delivering very long groundswell, though again, 18 ft is expert territory. On a reef and point setup like this, long-period swell should wrap in nicely, but the size will be the limiting factor.
So in short: it’s a slow start, but the second week, particularly from the 8th to the 10th of September, offers some serious, heavy, expert-only surf at Stent Road. If that’s your game, keep an eye on it. Otherwise, it might be a good time to check the wax supply.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNE on Fri morning, light winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 9 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1752 | 1338 | 1051 | 399 | 1555 | 2011 | 952 | 1310 | 1081 | 816 | 1479 | 2019 | 6734 | 9075 | 7462 | 2396 | 5318 | 3929 | 3809 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 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 | 12:10PM3.08m | 00:26AM3.09m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:05AM0.12m | 6:21PM0.25m | |||||||
— | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | |
mm | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 12 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WNW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | NW 9 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | WSW 14 | S 9 | WSW 22 | WSW 20 |
1752 | 1338 | 1051 | 399 | 321 | 312 | 952 | 1310 | 1081 | 492 | 443 | 512 | — | — | — | 2230 | 7 | 46 | 129 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 12 | W 24 | W 24 | WSW 13 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | WSW 22 | WSW 20 |
— | 90 | 100 | 365 | 11 | 11 | 269 | 219 | 126 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 46 | 75 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 18 | S 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | WSW 22 | WSW 21 | W 21 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 6 | 6 | 146 | — | — | 49 | 151 | 221 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 4 | NW 9 | NW 10 | — | — | — | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
— | — | — | 13 | 1555 | 2011 | — | — | — | 816 | 1479 | 2019 | 6734 | 9075 | 7462 | 2396 | 5318 | 3929 | 3809 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 112 | 3 | 36 | 28 | 273 | 250 | 217 | 10 | 46 | 217 | 217 | 277 | 228 | 224 | 243 | 243 | 243 | 243 | 243 |
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.











