Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 8,933 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 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) 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 1.8m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the forecast for our region. We've got a bit of a tricky situation ahead. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty stormy, with a lot of strong onshore wind and big, messy swell. We're not looking at any proper, clean surfing windows for a while.
The first real chance of anything decent rolls in around Thursday, September 11th. The morning of the 11th is showing a big 16 ft swell from the west, with a very long period of 16 seconds, and a light breeze from the SSW. That's a huge amount of energy, and while the wind is light, it's cross-onshore, which is a bit of a bummer. This swell is only for the most experienced crew out there. It's going to be a big, powerful groundswell. The afternoon cleans up but the wind swings onshore, so it's a narrow window.
Before that, the whole run from August 29th through to September 10th is pretty much a write-off. We're seeing constant strong winds from the SW, WSW, and WNW, with huge swell sizes but all accompanied by "poor surf conditions." The wind is either cross-on, or directly onshore, and the models are just showing "unknown" or "messy" wave states. Friday, September 5th, is a good example of the pattern: a 15 ft swell from the WSW with a 16-second period, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it look like a kite-surfing day rather than a paddle session.
The water temp is sitting around 57° at Stent Road, which is about normal for the time of year. Not a big deal.
Looking further out, the pattern doesn't really let up. Saturday, September 6th, the wind shifts to a strong cross-off from the NNE, but the swell is dropping. The 13th of September sees a much smaller 4 ft swell from the WSW, but with a ridiculously long 19-second period. The wind is light, but it's cross-onshore. The energy is low, so it's a bit of a tease.
So, to be honest, the standout here is that Thursday, September 11th morning. It's a big, scary swell with a window of light wind. That's the only time the score hits a 7, which is a hint that it's our best bet. Everything else is a battle with the wind, or the swell is too big and messy. If you're an expert and you're keen, set your alarm for the 11th. The rest of us might want to take a break.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sat afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 9 | W 10 | WSW 10 | W 16 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 293 | 492 | 1018 | 1125 | 3492 | 5113 | 3190 | 7364 | 5336 | 5126 | 4862 | 3256 | 2515 | 2119 | 752 | 1528 | 1775 | 1775 | 5909 | 7008 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:39PM3.23m | 10:58AM3.12m | 11:13PM3.24m | 11:33AM3.13m | 11:48PM3.20m | 12:10PM3.08m | 00:26AM3.09m | 12:51PM2.97m | 1:09AM2.94m | 1:39PM2.83m | 2:01AM2.74m | 2:37PM2.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:52AM0.09m | 5:05PM0.12m | 5:27AM0.07m | 5:42PM0.16m | 6:05AM0.12m | 6:21PM0.25m | 6:45AM0.23m | 7:06PM0.40m | 7:31AM0.40m | 7:57PM0.58m | 8:27AM0.58m | 9:02PM0.75m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | — | — | SSE 9 | WSW 20 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | W 10 | WSW 10 | — | — |
| kJ | 293 | 492 | 662 | 844 | 950 | 1067 | 2342 | — | — | 9 | 78 | 3256 | 2515 | 2119 | 752 | 126 | 1775 | 1775 | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | — | — | — | — | WSW 22 | S 11 | S 17 | WSW 18 | S 16 | S 12 | — | WSW 20 | NNW 8 | — | — |
| kJ | 155 | 98 | 116 | 408 | 303 | — | — | — | — | 45 | 9 | 6 | 124 | 5 | 3 | — | 38 | 151 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 74 | 29 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | — | — | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | NNW 6 | NW 8 | W 16 | WSW 14 |
| kJ | 53 | 302 | 1018 | 1125 | 3492 | 5113 | 3190 | 7364 | 5336 | 5126 | 4862 | — | — | 357 | 597 | 1528 | 265 | 250 | 5909 | 7008 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 130 | 46 | 250 | 278 | 250 | 243 | 273 | 273 | 210 | 87 | 180 | 243 | 243 | 231 | 231 | 231 | 112 | 276 | 274 | 278 |
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.
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