Rainbow Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Rainbow Rocks has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, Wednesday the 5th isn’t offering much. We’ve got a weak 5ft NW windswell with a short 8-second period, and the water is a frigid 51°, which is a whopping 6° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s pretty unusual. The combined energy is only moderate at 373, and the wind is on it. Conditions are marginal, so the first few days are a write-off. In fact, there’s not really anything worth paddling out for until Friday afternoon, the 7th.

That’s when things start to get interesting. Friday afternoon the swell bumps up to a solid 8ft from the NNW with a short period, but the wind goes cross-offshore and clean. The energy jumps to a strong 755, and the waves will be powerful, if a bit raw. This is solid, punchy stuff. Saturday the 8th keeps the run going with a clean 6ft in the morning, but by the afternoon it’s pushing 10ft with a fresh cross-off breeze. That’s big, expert-only territory with energy at 1161. This is a standout for anyone with the skill to handle it.

Sunday the 9th through to Wednesday the 12th sees a sustained run of solid NNW swell, mostly in the 7ft to 12ft range, all with clean cross-off winds. The energy stays strong to very strong, hitting 1476 on Sunday afternoon and a massive 1901 on Wednesday the 12th afternoon. This is a long stretch of heavy, clean surf. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for an experienced surfer, this is about as good as it gets.

There’s a bit of a breather on Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, with the swell dropping slightly. Friday afternoon the 14th is the best of this quieter period, with 6ft from the NW, a 9-second period, and light offshore winds. The energy is still strong at 820, and the conditions are described as very good. That’s a solid session for intermediate-level surfers.

Saturday the 15th sees another spike, back up to 10ft from the NNW by the afternoon, with strong energy at 1715. Then things go a little weird. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th bring in a long-period SSW groundswell around 14 to 16 seconds, but the height drops off to 3ft - 3ft. The long period will make these waves walled up and hard to ride at a beach and reef break, and the cross-shore chop doesn’t help. By Tuesday the 18th, the energy is weak and the surf is poor.

The last glimmer comes on Wednesday the 19th. We see a 7ft WNW groundswell with a nice 12-second period and light cross-onshore wind. The energy is very strong at 1662. This long-period groundswell is best suited for a bank that can handle it, but at Rainbow Rocks, it’s worth a look if you’re sharp. It’s a promising window, but we’re over a week out, so treat it with a bit of caution.

Overall, the first half of the period is a ripper for experienced crew, with a few smaller, cleaner windows for intermediates. The second week tapers off into small and messy conditions.

Rusty.

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