Rockpile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Rockpile.

First things first, I gotta be straight with you: the next week and a half is a bit of a bummer. We’ve got a run of marginal surf starting on Monday the 27th of July that just doesn’t want to clean up. The wind is blowing onshore or cross-onshore, and while there’s some decent energy in the water – the combined energy sits around 878 to 1039 (moderate) – the conditions just aren’t cooperating. The water is a very unusual 74°, which is a massive 7° warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re waiting for a wave.

From the 27th through to the 31st of July, we’re looking at chest-high swell, around 3ft to 4ft, coming from the SW. The period is a solid 16 to 17 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but it’s being blown all over the place by SW winds. This is a reef set-up, so those long-period swells will be wrapping in, but the surface is messy. It’s not flat, but it’s not really worth paddling out for.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From the 1st of August right through to the 11th of August, the forecast drops to poor or zero conditions. The swell drops right off – we’re talking 1ft to 2ft – and the wind stays on the wrong side of the compass. The combined energy drops to between 124 and 454 (weak to low-end moderate). There’s a couple of days around the 6th and 7th of August where the swell period jumps up to 19 to 21 seconds, which is very long, but the swell height is tiny (1ft to 2ft). That’s just a long-period ripple.

Now, there is a glimmer. On Friday the 7th of August, we get a morning window of glassy conditions with a light NNE breeze. The swell is only 2ft, but it’s a SW groundswell (19-second period) and the combined energy is 338 (moderate). The guidance says it’s expecting good surf conditions. For a reef break like Rockpile, that long-period, clean swell could produce a few smooth, lined-up waves. It’s not going to be big, but it might be the only session worth having in the next two weeks. The afternoon also looks clean with a cross-offshore wind from the N. The crowds are often here, so expect a few others with the same idea.

The following weekend (8th and 9th of August) sees the wind swing back cross-onshore, and we’re back to marginal to poor conditions with a tiny bump in size to 2ft to 3ft.

So, the honest truth? There’s a long gap of nothing worth chasing from the 1st of August until the 7th of August, and then it fades again. The standout is the morning of Friday the 7th of August – that’s your best bet for a clean, lonely wave, but keep your expectations about knee-high. The rest of the time, the wind is just ruining what could be a nice reef set-up.

Rusty.

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