Rockpiles Surf Break

Lat Long: 21.28° N 157.84° W

Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rockpiles sea temperature is
27.3°C
0.5° 

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


Rockpiles surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, S swell with 716 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockpiles this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Rockpiles in the next 16 days are 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful11AM (Thu 27th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here.

Alright, let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks at Rockpiles (Big Island) are going to test your patience. We’ve got a long stretch of mediocrity ahead before things finally start to wake up. Don’t get too excited about the near-term forecast, because it’s mostly junk.

We kick things off this Thursday the 27th with a so-called swell, but it’s pretty weak. You’re looking at 4ft of S swell with a 17-second period, and the energy is moderate at best (898). The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the ENE, which is fine for keeping the surface clean, but it’s just not doing much for the waves. Honestly, it’s marginal at best, and the tide is going to be a factor. Friday isn't much better, and by Saturday the 29th, it switches to a short-period ENE windswell at 6ft but with only a 6-second period. That’s just messy, gutless stuff. The period is way too short to have any real power, and it stays like that through Monday the 31st. This is a classic case of a lot of water moving around with no real form to it. Total energy levels are dropping into the three-digit range, which tells you it’s weak.

There’s a slight tease on Tuesday the 1st with some S swell at 2ft but an 18-second period. Long period, sure, but just not enough size. It’s still poor. Then Wednesday the 2nd brings more of that ENE windswell at 6ft, but again, short period (8 seconds). That’s over 5ft so it’s getting too big for beginners, but the quality is so poor it's not even worth the paddle. It’s just bumpy and disorganized.

Now, here’s where we start to see a little light. From Friday the 4th and into the weekend, there’s a shift. The swell direction moves to the E, the period stretches out to 11 seconds, and the size sits around 4ft to 4ft. The wind backs off to a moderate breeze, and the surface stays clean. It’s still not epic, but it’s surfable. The scores are climbing from the absolute zero we’ve been dealing with, which is something.

The real standout, the one you’ve been hanging out for, looks like Monday the 7th of September. The morning is still a bit cross-shore, but the afternoon is where it’s at. The wind drops to a light cross-offshore breeze, and we start to see some proper SSW groundswell. We’re looking at 4ft of SSW swell at a 15-second period. The energy is strong (828), and the conditions are described as “very good surf conditions.” This is the one. The forecast swell direction is matching what this reef wants, and with light wind, it’s going to be clean. This is a standout, but it's over a week away, so we call it promising, not guaranteed.

After that, the following week settles back into a mix of E and SSW swells. The E swells on the 9th and 10th have more size, up to 5ft, but the period drops back to 10-11 seconds. It’s not as clean, and there’s a risk of a thunderstorm on the 10th. The energy is moderate to strong, but it’s just not coming together like that Monday.

So, overall, don't waste your time on the first week. It’s a write-off. The window you want is around the 7th of September. That’s the pick of the bunch. It’s a reef break, so it handles the long-period groundswell better than a beachie would, and it’s fairly consistent. You’ll have to deal with the crowds, as it can get busy there, but for the best wave on offer in the next two weeks, that’s your call.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
S
19
1.1
S
17
0.9
S
16
1
S
16
0.8
S
14
0.9
S
14
0.8
S
13
1.7
ENE
6
1.7
ENE
7
1.9
ENE
7
1.6
ENE
7
1.5
ENE
7
1.7
ENE
7
1.5
ENE
7
0.6
SSW
14
0.5
S
19
0.7
SSW
18
0.7
S
18
1.6
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
351
716
427
482
260
329
229
233
247
326
235
217
257
230
138
192
329
311
343
Wind (km/h)
30
ENE
35
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
40
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
25
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
25
ENE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:31AM0.37m
3:53PM0.66m
4:08AM0.41m
4:20PM0.62m
4:47AM0.46m
4:49PM0.57m
5:30AM0.50m
5:18PM0.51m
6:18AM0.53m
5:48PM0.44m
7:14AM0.56m
6:20PM0.36m
Low Tide
10:12PM0.10m
9:05AM0.06m
10:32PM0.08m
9:46AM0.07m
10:54PM0.07m
10:31AM0.10m
11:17PM0.05m
11:22AM0.14m
11:42PM0.05m
12:22PM0.19m
00:10AM0.05m
1:40PM0.23m
00:43AM0.05m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:13
6:13
6:13
6:13
6:13
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:52
6:52
6:51
6:50
6:49
6:47
6:46
 mm
1
1
1
Temp °C
25
26
26
25
26
26
25
26
26
25
26
26
25
26
26
26
26
27
26
Feels °C
22
23
24
23
24
23
22
22
22
22
23
23
23
24
24
25
27
26
26
  • 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 Rockpiles Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Rockpiles provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rockpiles can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rockpiles 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 (Rockpiles) 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 Rockpiles 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.

Rockpiles is 4 km (2 miles) from Honolulu. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in Honolulu. Honolulu has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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