Stent Road - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (March - August)

The heart of the winter swell window arrives in March and persists through August, delivering consistent, powerful groundswells from the W/SW quadrant. Average wave heights hold steady between 1.7 and 2.1 m with periods averaging well over 11 seconds. The SE trade wind influence remains strong during these months, providing ample offshore opportunities. This is the prime time to score Stent Road at its best – lined-up, long-period swell with clean, offshore conditions.

Fair Surf Season (February & September)

February offers the highest percentage of offshore wind (22%) but with slightly smaller average swell heights (1.5 m). September, conversely, still sees substantial swell (2.1 m) but the wind reliability drops off significantly. Both months require careful timing to catch the right combination of size and shape.

Low Surf Season (October - January)

The spring and early summer months see a dramatic decline in consistent surf quality. While October maintains overhead swell, the wind patterns become dominated by westerly quadrants, making clean conditions scarce. November through January see both swell size and period drop, with offshore wind windows becoming less frequent. Surfable days are rarer, but occasional clean, smaller days can occur under high-pressure setups.

December: Summer Onset, Small but Clean Potential

December brings the smallest average swells (1.6 m) and shortest periods (11.0 s), with ideal wind at 15%. Swell from WSW (47.0%) and W (16.5%) still dominates, but the WNW (8.5%) and NW (4.4%) components grow. Wind statistics show a mix: SE flow at 6.8% and SSE at 5.9% offer offshore potential, but WSW (15.2%) and W (11.4%) onshore winds are common. The lack of wind consistency means many days are grovelers, but when a high-pressure system parks over the Tasman Sea, light east winds groom the swell into clean, small-sized waves perfect for longboarding or fish surfing.