Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 3,745 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s 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 (Aug 18) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
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
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Sun morning, light winds from the ESE by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | SSE 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
3309 | 3079 | 3412 | 3034 | 2701 | 2147 | 1337 | 1283 | 1110 | 1224 | 1412 | 1094 | 1003 | 1953 | 1484 | 1247 | 915 | 553 | 621 | 487 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 11:41PM3.35m | 12:03PM3.14m | 00:20AM3.19m | 12:42PM3.00m | 00:59AM2.99m | 1:22PM2.83m | 1:39AM2.76m | 2:06PM2.64m | 2:23AM2.54m | 2:56PM2.45m | 3:18AM2.34m | 4:01PM2.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:59AM0.02m | 6:14PM0.14m | 6:38AM0.17m | 6:54PM0.33m | 7:18AM0.37m | 7:36PM0.55m | 7:59AM0.58m | 8:22PM0.78m | 8:47AM0.79m | 9:16PM0.98m | 9:45AM0.96m | 10:25PM1.11m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | -2 | -2 | -1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
3309 | 3079 | 3412 | 3034 | 2701 | 2147 | 1337 | 1283 | 1110 | 1224 | 1412 | 1094 | 742 | 1953 | 1484 | 1247 | 915 | 553 | 621 | 487 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | WSW 10 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | — | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 16 |
143 | 378 | — | — | — | — | 226 | 17 | 5 | 6 | — | 543 | 1003 | 28 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | S 16 | S 17 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 91 | 56 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 7 | — | — | — | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 6 |
21 | 91 | 2139 | 2644 | 1691 | 1018 | 269 | — | — | — | 161 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 175 | 194 | 155 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 27 | 10 | 130 | 178 | 180 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 112 | 250 | 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.











