Rainbow Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and we’ve got one spot on the radar for the next couple weeks – Rainbow Rocks. It’s a beach and reef setup that’s fairly consistent, but truth be told, the next week and a half is looking pretty average. There’s a real gap of decent surf ahead, so let’s break it down.

We start off this Friday morning, August 28, with a tiny 2 ft SSW groundswell pushing in with a very long 16-second period. The northwest breeze is light, so it’s cross-shore, but the wave energy is weak (425). The water temp is sitting at 58°F, right on the money for this time of year. Honestly, it’s a marginal one – small and weak, not much to get excited about. Friday afternoon sees the swell bump to 2 ft from the SW, same period, but the wind picks up to a moderate cross-shore, creating a bit of chop. Still a waste of time.

Saturday August 29 morning is similar – 2 ft SSW swell, 18-second period, light cross-shore breeze. It’s clean but tiny. Saturday afternoon shows a slight improvement: the swell edges up to 4 ft from the SSW, long 18-second period, and the wind turns cross-offshore from the NNW at 22 mph, making for clean conditions. The combined energy jumps to moderate (1134), but the size is still well under 5 ft, and the scores are low – it’s not really bringing the goods yet.

Sunday August 30 morning is another 4 ft SSW groundswell, 16-second period, light cross-shore breeze, but still that marginal feel. Sunday afternoon sees a jump to 10 ft from the NW, but the period drops to a short 7 seconds, which means it’s sloppy and messy. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNW at 16 mph, so it’s clean, but that’s a lot of swell for a beach-and-reef break with short period – more of a mess for the experts. The combined energy is very strong (1325), but the quality isn’t there. This one’s more for the strong paddlers and maybe kite surfers if you’ve got the gear.

Monday August 31 and Tuesday September 1 stay small and marginal – swell around 3 ft to 4 ft, mostly from the SSW or NW, with light winds. Nothing to wake up early for.

Wednesday September 2 is a write-off. Light rain and moderate cross-onshore winds with choppy conditions, swell all over the place – just stay home.

Thursday September 3 brings a punch: 8 ft to 10 ft NW swell with a moderate 12-second period. The morning is clean with a light cross-shore NW breeze and the energy is very strong (2350). This is the best-looking wave of the whole run. It’s big – over 8 ft – so this is strictly for experienced surfers. The cross-shore wind keeps it reasonably clean, but that kind of size on a beach and reef setup is heavy. Still, it’s the standout. Thursday afternoon stays similar at 10 ft, slightly stronger energy (2898), but the cross-shore breeze picks up a touch, adding some chop.

Friday September 4 holds solid 7 ft to 7 ft WNW swell, 10-second period, with very light winds – almost glassy in the morning. The energy is strong (1416 – 1257), and the lighter winds mean better shape. This is another good option for the experienced crew, but it’s not quite the size of Thursday.

Then we hit another gap. Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 are poor – onshore winds and messy chop with weak south swell. Monday September 7 through the rest of the outlook stays marginal or too big with wind issues. There’s a pulse on September 9 with a 12 ft NW swell on Wednesday afternoon, but it’s short-period (8 seconds) and windy, so it’s a messy, blown-out expert zone.

Bottom line: The only real standout is Thursday September 3 at Rainbow Rocks – a solid 8 ft-10 ft NW swell with a 12-second period and light cross-shore winds. That’s your window for the experienced folks. Earlier in the run (Saturday August 29 afternoon) has clean 4 ft conditions, but it’s small. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too big for the average surfer. There’s a gap of poor surf from September 5 through 8, and then again after September 9, it fades. Not a great run, but that Thursday is your one shot.

Rusty, signing off.

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