Rockpile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you – this forecast window is a rough one for the Rockpile. We're looking at a solid 16-day period, but the first week is a bit of a write-off for any decent surf. The swell is small and the wind is just not playing nice. There’s a bit of a bump in the second week, but even then, it’s nothing to write home about.

Let's kick off on Thursday, the 6th of August. The water is a balmy 76°, which is a massive 8° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a standout, you’ll be sweating in your wettie. But the surf? Forget it. We’ve got a weak 2ft swell from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds, but the cross-onshore wind from the West is just ruining it. The wave energy is weak at 172 (Thursday morning). It's small, choppy, and messy.

This theme keeps up through the weekend. Friday and Saturday see the same story: tiny 2ft to 2ft SW swells, crossed up by Westerly winds. The energy does bump up a bit, hitting 387 on Friday morning, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s just a bigger mess. The period gets long on Friday at 19 seconds, which is a proper groundswell, but at this size, it’s barely breaking and the wind is junk.

Early next week, Monday through Wednesday, the wind shifts to a light onshore from the SW, which is a bit better, but the swell is still tiny, barely hitting 2ft. The wave energy is moderate (hitting 339 on Monday afternoon), but the quality is still poor. It’s a frustrating wait.

The best chance you’ll get in this whole window is a brief window on the weekend of the 15th and 16th of August. The swell finally starts to show some life. On Saturday morning, the 15th, we’ve got a 4ft swell from the SW, with a period of 16 seconds, and the wind is a clean cross-shore from the WNW at 9 mph. The energy is strong at 617. This is the standout. It’s still a bit small for the reef, but the clean cross-shore wind will make it the most rideable it’s been all fortnight. The afternoon is a bit windier, with a moderate breeze, so get on it early. Sunday the 16th is a step down again, with the swell dropping back to 3ft and the wind turning cross-onshore.

After that, we’re back to the same old story. The week of the 17th to the 21st has tiny, wind-affected swell, with the energy dropping back to weak to moderate levels. There’s a last flicker on Friday the 21st, with a 2ft SSW swell and a light onshore wind, but it’s still marginal.

Honestly, for a consistent reef break like Rockpile, this is a lean run. If you’re a beginner, the small size is fine, but the wind is the enemy. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The only real call is that Saturday morning, the 15th of August. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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