Rainbow Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a proper look at what Rainbow Rocks has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. This is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, so it can handle a bit of size. The water is sitting at 59°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—nothing crazy, but a nice little bonus.

The first few days are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some long-period groundswell rolling in from the SSW on Thursday the 30th, with a 3 ft swell and a period of 16 seconds. That’s a very long period, and while it means good energy, at a beach and reef break it can get a bit too straight. The wind is a cross-shore on Thursday morning, which is okay, but the energy levels are moderate (685). Thursday afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell drops to 3 ft.

Friday morning the 31st is where it starts to get interesting. The wind goes glassy—absolutely dead calm—from the WNW at just 3 mph. The swell is a clean 2 ft from the SW with a 14-second period. The energy is moderate (369), and the conditions are described as “glassy.” This is the kind of morning that makes you want to paddle out before anyone else is awake. The water will be like a mirror, and the long-period groundswell will give you those nice, lined-up waves. Crowds are only “sometimes” an issue here, so you might get a peak to yourself.

Friday afternoon takes a turn. The wind shifts to a cross-shore and the swell jumps to 4 ft, but the period drops to 9 seconds, and the direction swings to the NW. The quality goes south, and we’re looking at poor conditions. The same goes for the weekend—Saturday and Sunday (1st and 2nd of August) see a growing NW swell, but the wind is strong and cross-offshore, and the period is short, in the 6 to 8-second range. The energy is moderate to strong (up to 1339 on Sunday afternoon), but the short period and strong winds mean it’s just not going to be a fun paddle. The swell gets up to 12 ft on Sunday afternoon, which is firmly in the “experts only” territory, and even then, the quality is poor.

The start of the new week (Monday the 3rd through Tuesday the 4th) is more of the same—big NW swell, 10 ft to 12 ft, but with a short period and cross-offshore winds. The energy is strong to very strong (1706 on Monday afternoon), but the surf quality is only marginal at best. For a beach and reef setup with this much wind and short-period swell, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle folk.

The standout is Wednesday the 5th of August. The morning brings a 7 ft NW swell with a 9-second period, and the wind goes glassy from the WSW at just 3 mph. The energy is strong (825), and the conditions are forecast to be “very good.” This is the one morning in the whole window where the stars align. The wind is offshore, the swell has decent size, and the period is enough to put some shape in the face. This is the session to circle on the calendar. By afternoon, the wind picks up to a light cross-shore, and the quality drops off a bit.

The rest of the second week (from Thursday the 6th onwards) is a bit of a blur. There’s plenty of swell—often over 8 ft and up to 13 ft—but it’s all NW or NNW, with moderate to strong cross-offshore winds. The periods are short, mostly 8 to 10 seconds. The energy is strong to very strong (2354 on Thursday afternoon the 6th), but the quality is marginal at best, and the size is only for experts. The wind stays breezy, and the surf is going to be raw and challenging. There’s a brief drop in size on the 13th and 14th, with some SW groundswell returning, but the wind is still cross-offshore, and the quality is marginal.

So, to sum it up: the first few days have a few windows, but Friday morning the 31st with the glassy conditions and that 3 ft SW groundswell is a real treat for the early birds. The heavy hitter is Wednesday the 5th of August—if you can get out for that morning glass-off on a 7 ft NW swell, that’s the best on offer. The rest of the second week is big and windy, more of a challenge than a pleasure.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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