
Surf Forecasts:
Stent Road surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 20,501 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s 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 (Jul 21) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 13s period. 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 7.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 23ft (7.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 23ft (7.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Stent Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag for Stent Road. We’ve got a solid run of south-west groundswell on the horizon, but the wind is going to be a major headache for a lot of it. The real standout is a bit further out, so keep your eyes peeled on the calendar.
The first real action kicks off Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. We’re looking at a clean 5 ft swell from the WSW with a nice 13-second period and a light cross-offshore breeze from the SE. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no shock to the system there. The combined energy is moderate (735), and it’s shaping up for very good surf. Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the quality drops off, so get your session in early.
Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are a write-off with strong cross-on winds and short-period, choppy slop. Not worth paddling out.
Friday the 24th is a complete no-go with strong winds and messy conditions. The swell is there but it’s a battle, not a surf.
Now, Saturday the 25th of July... we’ve got a massive 23 ft WSW swell. The combined energy is absolutely pumping (15159 in the morning, 20501 in the afternoon). But, this is a monster. The wind is a near gale cross-onshore, and the wave comment says it’s simply too big for this break. This is for experts only if they’re absolutely insane, and even then, it’s blown out. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Sunday the 26th sees the swell dropping to 12 ft, but the wind is still cross-onshore and the quality is marginal. The energy is still very strong (5521), but it’s not clean. The rest of the week from the 27th through the 31st of July is a grim run of fresh onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. There are waves, but they’re not worth the beating.
The Standout – Mark your calendar for the 1st of August. This is the one. Saturday morning has an 18 ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, combined energy of 8303, and light offshore winds from the East. The wave comment says it’s exceptional for expert surfers, and I agree. The afternoon is even better: 16 ft swell, 13-second period, and glassy conditions with a whisper of a NNW breeze. The water is clean, the energy is massive (7384), and it’s going to be an all-time session for the big-wave crew. Expect crowds, as this spot is a magnet when it’s good.
Sunday the 2nd of August holds onto that 13 ft swell with offshore winds in the morning, making for excellent surf for experienced surfers. The energy is still very strong (5404). The afternoon drops in period a bit, but it’s still clean. This run continues into Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th with clean, offshore conditions and solid 13 ft to 8 ft swell. The quality is top-notch for the experienced surfer.
The last few days of the forecast, the 5th of August, see the swell dropping to 5 ft with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. It’s a clean, smaller option to finish the run.
The long-range standouts on the 1st and 2nd of August are promising but a little less certain, as they’re two weeks out. For now, the first recommendation is the Tuesday morning session, but the true prize is that first weekend of August.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue night, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat morning, light winds from the WNW by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | NW 7 | WSW 10 | W 8 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | W 15 | W 14 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
779 | 734 | 640 | 335 | 476 | 251 | 247 | 1110 | 1188 | 489 | 447 | 727 | 1679 | 15159 | 20501 | 10202 | 5521 | 3709 | 2069 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:24AM2.79m | 2:54PM2.61m | 3:14AM2.59m | 3:50PM2.47m | 4:10AM2.43m | 4:53PM2.39m | 5:16AM2.33m | 6:01PM2.38m | 6:24AM2.33m | 7:04PM2.45m | 7:25AM2.41m | 7:58PM2.56m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:48AM0.55m | 9:09PM0.74m | 9:39AM0.72m | 10:06PM0.91m | 10:37AM0.85m | 11:10PM1.01m | 11:39AM0.91m | 00:17AM1.02m | 12:42PM0.89m | 1:18AM0.95m | 1:38PM0.80m | 2:10AM0.83m | |||||||
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 9 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | -1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 12 | WSW 6 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 10 | — | — | — | WSW 15 | W 15 | W 14 | WSW 14 |
779 | 734 | 640 | 335 | 51 | 94 | 75 | 1110 | 1188 | 489 | 447 | 727 | — | — | — | 10202 | 5521 | 3709 | 2069 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | NNW 11 | WSW 19 | WSW 17 | NNW 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 12 | — | — | WSW 6 | — | WSW 20 | — | — | — | SSE 8 | — | — | — |
13 | 11 | 35 | 57 | 9 | 87 | 247 | — | — | 57 | — | 38 | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | S 4 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 8 | WSW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
21 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 142 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | — | — | SW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | — | — | — | W 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | W 8 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | — | SSE 4 | SSE 7 | S 8 |
15 | — | — | 194 | 476 | 251 | — | — | — | 77 | 410 | 472 | 1679 | 15159 | 20501 | — | 17 | 277 | 258 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 108 | 112 | 46 | 35 | 0 | 27 | 112 | 87 | 260 | 335 | 112 | 285 | 243 | 220 | 28 | 168 | 0 |
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.










