Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, WSW swell with 8,543 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 5.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 5.0m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Stent Road in the next 16 days are 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let's have a look at what Stent Road is offering up over the next couple of weeks. It's a reef and point set-up, exposed to the south-west, which means it grabs a lot of what's thrown at it. But this forecast is a bit of a messy one.
The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest of gloves just yet. The energy in the water is going to be all over the shop, mostly on the higher side.
We’ve got a lot of swell on the way, but for the most part, the wind is going to be a real problem. The first few days are a write-off. Starting from Saturday the 29th of August, there’s small surf around 4ft to 4ft but it's coming with a cross-onshore wind, making it choppy and poor. The combined energy is weak to moderate (438 to 748), but the quality is just not there. Sunday the 30th sees a big jump in size to 10ft, but it's a short-period windswell (8 seconds) with a fresh cross-onshore breeze. That's lumpy, messy, and not for paddling. This pattern of big, windy, and poor continues right through Monday the 31st and into Tuesday the 1st of September. We’re looking at 15ft to 18ft of swell with very strong combined energies (over 7200), but it’s all wind-affected. Honestly, if you’re into kiting, that Tuesday afternoon session with a 16ft swell and cross-shore wind might look more interesting than paddle surfing.
The first faint glimmer of hope shows up on Tuesday the 1st of September in the afternoon. The swell is still a big 16ft from the WSW with a long period of 13 seconds, and the wind shifts to a cross-shore. It’s still got a cross-chop, but the combined energy hits a massive 14585, and the score actually gets a mention. That’s a lot of water moving, so only for the experts, and you’ll want a serious board.
Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September are still a write-off with onshore and cross-onshore winds. The swell drops a bit to 8ft to 12ft but the quality is still poor. There’s a window on Saturday the 5th of September morning that looks promising if the tides line up for you. The swell is 10ft from the WSW with a very long period of 14 seconds, creating a strong combined energy of 4005. The wind goes light and offshore from the west. This is the standout moment. For a reef and point break like Stent Road, that long-period groundswell with offshore wind is going to produce some clean, lined-up waves. It’s going to be a serious swell, so not for beginners, and it’s an advanced spot anyway, so expect a crowd as it’s often busy there. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-shore wind but the swell backs off a touch to 8ft.
After that, it gets messy again. Sunday the 6th of September brings a gale and 21ft of messy swell. The next real look is Monday the 7th of September morning. There’s a big 15ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period, so plenty of energy (13157), and the wind is a light cross-onshore from the NW. It’s described as fairly choppy, so it’s a marginal call, but it’s the best on offer in that second week.
The rest of the outlook from Tuesday the 8th through to Sunday the 13th of September is a real mixed bag of strong winds, rain, and generally poor conditions. There are a few mornings with offshore winds, like Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of September, but the swell is big (12ft to 13ft), and the wind is howling, making it hard to get any clean face. The final Sunday the 13th of September sees the swell drop to 5ft, but the cross-onshore wind kills it. All in all, if you can get out on that Saturday the 5th of September morning, that's your best bet. The rest is mostly for the windsurf or kite crew, or for those with a death wish and a big wave gun.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sat morning, strong winds from the W by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu night, min 10°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | W 8 | W 9 | W 14 | W 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
276 | 293 | 492 | 1018 | 1272 | 3913 | 7221 | 8073 | 5412 | 8398 | 7877 | 5579 | 4013 | 3219 | 1144 | 783 | 1500 | 3160 | 1688 | 2946 | 2060 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:24AM3.07m | 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 | 4:30PM0.15m | 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 | ||||||||
6:52 | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 9 | 3 | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | SW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | — | WSW 14 | — | — | WSW 13 | SSE 9 | S 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
211 | 293 | 492 | 662 | 844 | 501 | — | 2358 | — | — | 6708 | 9 | 9 | 3219 | 1144 | 712 | 246 | 1704 | 1048 | 848 | 1240 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | W 7 | W 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 9 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 18 | S 17 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | SSE 8 |
276 | 107 | 34 | 5 | 8 | 371 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 124 | 22 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | NNW 8 | WSW 12 | — | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | S 10 | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
261 | 74 | 98 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 6 | SW 7 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 14 | W 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 |
— | 38 | 303 | 1018 | 1272 | 3913 | 7221 | 8073 | 5412 | 8398 | 7877 | 5579 | 4013 | — | 488 | 783 | 1500 | 3160 | 1688 | 2946 | 2060 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 130 | 130 | 251 | 278 | 243 | 243 | 284 | 277 | 243 | 19 | 112 | 243 | 243 | 243 | 112 | 243 | 112 | 231 | 232 | 46 |
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.











