Stent Road Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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