Rockpile Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.81° N 117.27° W

Rockpile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rockpile sea temperature is
23.0°C
2.8° 

Rockpile surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rockpile surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,318 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockpile this week:

The surf forecast for Rockpile over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rockpile in the next 16 days are 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 5th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 16s
Best Surf 8PM (Sat 5th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 13s
Most Powerful 8AM (Mon 7th Sep)6ft (1.9m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockpile over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.

For this stretch of coast, we’re looking at a pretty average start to the 16-day window. The swell is coming from the south-west, which is right on the money for Rockpile, a consistent reef break that’s good for beginners. The water is sitting at 73°, which is a solid 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real treat, and it’ll have you in a rash vest or just a boardie.

The first few days (Friday the 4th through the weekend) are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. The wind is cross-onshore, which is messing up the surface. The wave energy is moderate (around 624 to 1182), but it’s just not clean. Saturday morning gives us a small 3 ft swell from the SW, but the wind is still cross-on, so it’s choppy.

The best chance for a decent session lands on Sunday the 6th. The morning is looking the most promising. We’ve got a solid 6 ft swell from the south-southwest, and the wind is cross-off from the north. That’s the right kind of breeze to groom the waves. The swell period is a long 14 seconds, so there’s some proper groundswell energy in the water (1175). This is a point break and reef setup, so that long period will work well. Rockpile can get crowded, and with the decent conditions, expect a few more heads out. It’s the standout by a stretch.

After that, the swell drops off and the wind stays messy. From Monday the 7th onwards, the swell hangs around 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is cross-shore, making it pretty lumpy. By Tuesday the 8th, it’s the same story. The energy is still there, but the quality is gone.

From Wednesday the 9th right through to the end of the second week, it’s a real struggle. The swell drops under 3 ft, and we’re looking at long periods of 16 to 22 seconds, but with no real size or decent wind. The energy collapses to weak numbers (224 to 624). The wind is mostly cross-onshore, so it’s small, choppy, and pretty much unsurfable. There’s a gap of several days with genuinely poor conditions. The little bump on the 14th of September is a 4 ft, 8-second windswell, but that’s too short period for a reef, and it’s still onshore.

To be honest, if you’re keen, the only real window is Sunday morning (6th) at Rockpile. The rest of the run is a quiet one. It’s a bit of a bummer, but it happens.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 19°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 23°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
3
2
3
4
3
2
2
3
2
4
2
2
2
1
1
2
1
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SW
17
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
16
1.3
S
13
1.6
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
14
1.8
SSW
13
1.8
SSW
14
1.8
SSW
14
1.8
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.5
SW
12
1.4
SW
11
1.2
SW
10
0.8
SW
17
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
530
667
539
551
600
961
1106
1155
1265
1222
1204
1045
791
791
657
439
308
342
443
416
411
Wind (km/h)
10
W
15
WNW
5
NNW
10
WNW
10
W
15
NNW
15
N
20
NW
15
NW
15
NW
15
NW
10
NNW
15
NW
15
NW
15
NW
15
WNW
10
WNW
5
W
10
W
15
WNW
15
NNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
3:16PM1.65m
7:14AM1.05m
4:51PM1.71m
7:41AM1.19m
6:06PM1.82m
8:08AM1.33m
7:05PM1.93m
8:36AM1.45m
7:55PM2.00m
9:04AM1.57m
8:40PM1.99m
9:33AM1.66m
9:23PM1.92m
Low Tide
11:54PM0.12m
10:35AM0.98m
1:00AM-0.03m
12:16PM0.87m
1:48AM-0.16m
1:19PM0.69m
2:28AM-0.23m
2:10PM0.51m
3:03AM-0.24m
2:54PM0.35m
3:36AM-0.19m
3:37PM0.23m
4:06AM-0.08m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:09
7:08
7:07
7:06
7:05
7:02
7:01
 mm
Temp °C
21
21
20
23
23
23
26
26
24
25
25
24
25
24
24
25
24
23
24
24
23
Feels °C
21
20
20
22
23
22
24
24
24
25
24
23
24
21
23
23
22
23
23
23
24
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Rockpile Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Rockpile provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rockpile can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rockpile surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Rockpile) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Rockpile may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Rockpile is 10 km (6 miles) from San Diego. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in San Diego. San Diego has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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