Stent Road Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Stent Road. It’s a bit of a mixed bag to kick things off, but there’s some proper raw power on the horizon if you’re patient.

The first few days are a write-off, I’m afraid. We’ve got a solid 8ft WSW groundswell with a 16-second period rolling in from Saturday, but a howling 16 mph crosswind is just going to shred it and the combined wave energy is a significant 3473, but it’s messy. Don’t bother paddling out. Sunday is even worse with a 28 mph SSE breeze. It’s a full-on blowout. That big chunk of swell energy (5551 and 5678) is there, but it’s unsurfable. That run of poor conditions stretches right through the start of the week, with the wind dropping slightly but the swell easing. You’re looking at a blank run until Tuesday the 18th.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the crew that knows what they’re doing. Tuesday morning the 18th is our first real window. Stent Road is an advanced reef and point setup, and at this size, it’s for experienced surfers only. The swell is a solid 6ft from the WSW with a nice 14-second period, and the wind flips to a light SSE cross-offshore breeze at just 6 mph. That’s clean, proper surf. The combined energy is a punchy 1115. It’s the best early call.

The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual on that front.

The best of the first week looks like Wednesday morning the 19th. The swell bumps up a touch to 7ft from the WSW with an 11-second period, and we’ve got glassy conditions with barely a breath of wind (3 mph SSE cross-offshore). It’ll be clean as a whistle. The energy is strong at 1728. That’s the standout.

The wind holds for Thursday morning the 20th with a 6ft WSW swell and a light offshore, but then it gets messy again Friday through to Sunday as a westerly onshore breeze picks up and the swell fades out. Monday the 24th is a big red flag. The swell jumps to a nasty 12ft with a short 9-second period and a 16 mph crosswind. That’s not for a paddle board; that setup is looking way more interesting for a kite than a surfboard. However, the afternoon turns golden – a 10ft swell, a 9-second period still, but the wind drops to a lights-offshore breeze. That’s a rare, powerful window for the absolute elite. The energy is a huge 2885.

Looking into the second week, Tuesday the 25th has another massive 12ft WSW groundswell with a 16-second period and a gentle breeze, but it’s onshore. The energy hits 5186. It’s powerful but sloppy. Saturday the 29th looks promising for the end of the run. A 7ft WNW swell with a clean offshore breeze (3 mph) and an energy of 1218 – a solid, clean session for the experienced.

It’s a forecast of patience. The surf is here, but it’s either for experts only or blown out. The Tuesday and Wednesday mornings of the first week are your best bet for clean, powerful waves.

- Rusty

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