Taranaki – Stent Road
Ōkato, Taranaki, New Zealand
Sports: Surfing
Best time to go: March–December
Stent Road is a reef break at the end of a farm road off Surf Highway 45, between New Plymouth and Ōkato, on the west coast of the Taranaki region. Lava boulder reefs formed by Mount Taranaki line this coast and pick up swell from almost any direction from the Tasman Sea. Stent Road produces fast, powerful rights and some lefts, best from autumn to spring with easterly offshore winds.
The reef is shallow and rocky, the paddle out can be tricky over the boulders, and the wave is heavy on bigger swells, so it suits experienced surfers. Respect the farmland and park considerately at the end of the road. There are no facilities at the break; Ōkato and New Plymouth are the nearest towns.
Month by month at Taranaki – Stent Road
- January: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 20°C, air 21°C (nights 15°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- February: 9 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.8 m, water 20°C, air 21°C (nights 15°C), 25 sunny days, 12 rainy days
- March: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.9 m, water 19°C, air 20°C (nights 14°C), 28 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- April: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 2.1 m, water 18°C, air 18°C (nights 13°C), 24 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- May: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 2.3 m, water 17°C, air 16°C (nights 11°C), 24 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- June: 13 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 2.4 m, water 16°C, air 15°C (nights 10°C), 23 sunny days, 16 rainy days
- July: 14 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 2.6 m, water 15°C, air 14°C (nights 9°C), 22 sunny days, 18 rainy days
- August: 13 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 2.3 m, water 14°C, air 13°C (nights 8°C), 22 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- September: 15 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 2.7 m, water 14°C, air 14°C (nights 10°C), 24 sunny days, 21 rainy days
- October: 16 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 2.4 m, water 15°C, air 16°C (nights 11°C), 24 sunny days, 22 rainy days
- November: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.9 m, water 17°C, air 18°C (nights 12°C), 26 sunny days, 18 rainy days
- December: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.9 m, water 18°C, air 19°C (nights 14°C), 26 sunny days, 20 rainy days
When is the best time to go surfing at Taranaki – Stent Road?
March–December, when the waves are biggest.
How warm is the water at Taranaki – Stent Road?
14°C to 20°C over the year: a 3/2 full suit in the warmest month, a 5/4 with boots in the coolest.
How windy is Taranaki – Stent Road?
About 146 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in October.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
Spots near Taranaki – Stent Road
- Opunake (27 km)
- New Plymouth – Fitzroy Beach (35 km)
- Raglan – Manu Bay (181 km)
- Foxton Beach (184 km)
- Lake Taupō – Acacia Bay (204 km)
- Waikanae Beach (211 km)
- Plimmerton (226 km)
- Nelson – Rabbit Island (233 km)
More: All spots in New Zealand · Surfing in New Zealand
Compare with: Opunake vs Taranaki – Stent Road · New Plymouth – Fitzroy Beach vs Taranaki – Stent Road