Rainbow Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got for Rainbow Rocks over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about bang on average for this time of year. So nothing wild there.

Right, the honest truth is, the start of this forecast is a bit of a struggle. The first week is pretty quiet, with mostly cross-shore winds and some messy, weak swell. The energy is just not working for us. The combined swell energy hangs around in the 500-600 range (moderate energy), but the wave comment is consistently "marginal" or worse. The wind keeps throwing a cross-chop into the mix, and the period is often short and weak. There’s honestly nothing worth paddling out for until we get towards the back half of the month.

The real standout, and I mean the only time I'd genuinely get excited, is Sunday the 23rd of August in the morning. It’s glassy out – the wind is listed as "glass" from the west at just 3 mph. That is as clean as it gets, and you’ll have the place to yourself, with crowds only showing up sometimes. The swell is 5 ft from the NW, but it’s got a short period of 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly and weak. Still, for a paddle, that’s your best window in the whole outlook. Combined energy is still only moderate at 392, so it’s not a big day, but in a stretch this poor, a clean 5 ft is a proper treat.

After that, Tuesday the 25th afternoon brings a pulse of 10 ft NW swell (short 8 sec period) with a cross-off wind from the NNW at 19 mph. That’s for experts only – 10 ft is big and ugly on a short period, and the wind will be fresh. Not for the faint-hearted, and definitely not for beginners. The combined energy jumps to 1349 (strong energy), but the quality is still called marginal. Hard pass unless you’re very experienced and looking for a challenge.

Wednesday the 26th afternoon sees another size jump to 12 ft NW swell, again short period, with a clean cross-off wind, but the combined energy hits a massive 1984 (very strong energy). That’s a kite surfer’s dream, not a paddler’s. The break is a beach and reef setup, so with that much power and a short period, it’s going to be a washing machine.

The rest of the period into the end of the month is more of the same – lumpy cross-shore conditions, moderate energy, and nothing that really screams "go." For a fairly consistent spot like Rainbow Rocks, this is a frustrating spell, but it’s not unusual. The blank run of no decent surf lasts about a week after the 23rd.

So, if you’re after a calm, clean, small session, Sunday morning the 23rd is your only real shout. Everything else is either blown out, too big and ugly, or just plain marginal.

Rusty.

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