Rock Wave Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Rock Wave. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the second week is shaping up to be a proper event, if you’ve got the skills and the patience.

The water at Rock Wave is sitting at 64°, which is a good four degrees colder than what you’d expect for this time of year, so you’ll be wanting a thick wetsuit.

First up, the early part of the week is pretty lackluster. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are offering up some chest-high swell from the ESE, around 5 ft to 6 ft, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is light and cross, but the reports are calling it marginal, with questionable tide conditions. The wave energy is moderate (849 and 482), but it’s not really doing much for us. Wednesday morning the 5th is the best of this first batch, with the wind going glassy, a 4 ft swell from the east, and energy at 392. It’s clean, but the swell is small and inconsistent. The rest of that week is a write-off, with onshore winds, rain, and junk surf.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. We’ve got a massive gap of poor conditions until the real action starts. The standout is without a doubt Wednesday the 12th. The swell is going to be a solid 15 ft to 20 ft from the SSE, with a period of 13 to 14 seconds. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell, and the combined wave energy is a monstrous 14,067 to 15,813. This is serious, heavy water. The wind is offshore from the NW, and the morning is clean with a moderate breeze, while the afternoon is glassy with light offshore winds. This is an exceptional window for expert surfers only. The 20 ft afternoon swell is predicted to be too big for Rock Wave, so the morning is your window. The preceding Tuesday the 11th is a total washout with heavy rain and strong onshore winds, so don’t even think about paddling out then.

After that pulse, it settles down but remains solid. Thursday the 13th morning has an 8 ft swell from the south, clean conditions with cross-offshore winds, and energy at 2,857. This is still a big day for experienced surfers. Then Friday the 14th morning is a gem: glassy conditions, a 7 ft groundswell from the south, and energy at 1,410. That’s a beautiful, clean, 2-metre day for the crew that know what they’re doing.

The final week drops off sharply. From Saturday the 15th onward, we’re back to knee-high, weak, and messy slop with winds that are all over the place. The swell drops to 2 ft, and the energy falls to 284. It’s a proper close-out on the forecast.

So, if you’re an expert, you lock in Wednesday the 12th and Friday the 14th. If you’re not, sit this one out. The early part of the window is a dud, but that one big pulse is the real deal.

- Rusty

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