Rockpile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for your local patch. Honestly, the next week and a half is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a long, drawn-out stretch of small, wind-affected waves, so patience is the name of the game. The only real light at the end of the tunnel is a pulse of solid swell that shows up around the second weekend.

First up, Rockpile. It’s a consistent reef break exposed to SW swell, but best for beginners. The water is sitting about average for the time of year, so no drama there.

We start off Monday the 31st of August with a clean 3 ft S swell, but it’s got a 9 mph cross-onshore wind that’s making it choppy and messy. The energy is moderate (441), but the wave quality is just poor. Not worth paddling out. Tuesday the 1st of September is even smaller, 2 ft SW, with the wind still onshore or cross, and the energy drops into the 200s. Wednesday the 2nd is a bit better with a 3 ft SSW swell and a light cross-shore breeze, but it’s only marginal. The water is still glassy enough for a longboard if you’re desperate, but it’s not going to be memorable.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th see a bump in period, with a 15 to 18-second groundswell hitting 3 ft to 4 ft, and the energy climbs into the 600s and 700s. But the wind is cross-onshore or onshore, so the surface is messy. Saturday the 5th is the pick of the first week: a 4 ft S swell with a 14-second period, and a light SSW onshore wind that should clean up a bit. The energy is strong (929), and the break is exposed, so there could be a few fun ones. But it’s only marginal.

Now, Sunday the 6th of September is the real standout. We’ve got a 8 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is a clean 12 mph cross-offshore from the north. That’s a big, long-period groundswell, and for a reef like Rockpile, that could be epic. The energy is very strong (2233), and the conditions are described as clean. This is for the strong swimmers and the experienced crew only – 8 ft is too big for beginners. The downside is that the wind picks up to 16 mph by the afternoon, and there’s heavy rain, but the morning session is the one to chase.

Monday the 7th of September is a write-off. The swell holds at 8 ft, but a 25 mph cross-shore wind from the SSE is going to turn it into a washing machine. That’s strictly for the kite surfers, not paddle surfing. The energy is still very strong (2205), but the wind is just too much.

After that, the swell drops away fast. Tuesday the 8th is 6 ft SSW but with a short 9-second period and a cross-onshore wind, so it’s choppy. The rest of the second week is a slow, painful slide into small, weak swell. Wednesday the 9th through to Monday the 14th of September are all 2 ft to 3 ft, with periods that get long again (16-17 seconds) but the energy is weak (under 500). The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, giving you small, bumpy waves. Not worth wetting the suit.

The very last entry, Tuesday the 15th of September, shows a 3 ft W swell with a short 9-second period and a light offshore wind from the WSW. It’s poor quality, though.

So, to wrap it up: there’s a solid 4-day gap of no surf from the 31st of August right through to the 3rd of September. The only window that’s worth getting excited about is the morning of Sunday the 6th of September at Rockpile. That’s your best bet. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

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