
Surf Forecasts:
Rockpiles surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, ENE swell with 799 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockpiles this week:
The surf forecast for Rockpiles over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 1.8m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rockpiles in the next 16 days are 2.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2PM. 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 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockpiles over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s some real gold waiting for us if we’re patient.
The first week is a tough one, I won’t lie. We’ve got waves, but they’re messy and the wind is just not playing ball. From Monday the 14th through to the weekend of the 20th, it’s mostly cross-off breezes in the 12-22 mph range, and the swell is all over the place. Early on, the swell is tiny, around 1 ft to 2 ft, with a super long period from the southwest (22-23 seconds). That long period sounds nice, but with that wind, the surface is just not clean. The combined energy is weak to moderate early on (135-490), so there’s not much push. By Wednesday the 16th, it picks up to 3 ft, but the wind is still strong. By Thursday the 17th, the swell jumps to 7 ft, but it’s from the ENE with a short, weak period of 9-10 seconds. The energy gets moderate to strong (1188-1108), but the quality is poor. Honestly, this stretch is more for the kite crew than paddle surfers.
Now, we hit a gap from around the 22nd to the 24th, where the swell stays around 5 ft to 7 ft, but the wind is still howling at 19-25 mph from the ENE. The waves are there, but they’re just not surfable with that much chop. It’s a frustrating few days.
The Standout: Late September
Hold onto your boards, because from Saturday the 26th, everything changes. This is the real deal. We get a glass-off situation that’s just beautiful. The wind goes light, even calm, with a glassy surface. The swell is a clean 3 ft to 3 ft from the SSW, with a lovely long period of 14-18 seconds – proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (428-875), but with those conditions, it’ll feel way better.
The best of the best is Rockpiles. On Monday the 28th, we’re looking at a glassy morning with a 2 ft southwest swell at an 18-second period. The afternoon gets even better: a 3 ft SSW swell, still glassy, with a period of 18 seconds. The combined energy hits 736. This is the one to circle on your calendar. The water is a warm 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit needed.
This spot is a reef break, advanced only, and it’s fairly consistent. It faces south-southeast, which is a sweet spot for this SSW swell. Crowds are possible here, so expect some company. Because the period is over 15 seconds, it’s a very long-period groundswell, so it might wrap around the reef and offer long, lined-up walls. This is not a beginner’s wave.
Into the last days of September – Tuesday the 29th – it’s more of the same: glassy conditions, 3 ft SSW swell, 16-second period. The quality stays high through the end of the forecast period. It’s a promising finish, but remember, this is long-range, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
Stay stoked, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 26°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Fri night, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 23 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
86 | 227 | 224 | 392 | 384 | 470 | 455 | 541 | 429 | 763 | 630 | 644 | 622 | 580 | 539 | 392 | 402 | 427 | 411 | 345 | 365 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | 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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:40PM0.36m | 7:02AM0.58m | 6:07PM0.30m | 7:59AM0.57m | 6:32PM0.25m | 9:10AM0.56m | 7:25PM0.21m | 10:27AM0.57m | 11:01PM0.21m | 11:34AM0.59m | 00:19AM0.23m | 12:26PM0.61m | 00:59AM0.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:45PM0.20m | 11:42PM0.08m | 2:03PM0.23m | 00:07AM0.11m | 4:06PM0.24m | 00:38AM0.13m | 7:14PM0.21m | 1:26AM0.16m | 7:23PM0.18m | 2:56AM0.18m | 7:43PM0.16m | 4:35AM0.17m | 8:01PM0.15m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | SW 22 | NE 8 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
58 | 227 | 31 | 392 | 384 | 470 | 455 | 541 | 429 | 258 | 258 | 644 | 622 | 580 | 539 | 382 | 387 | 350 | 233 | 296 | 276 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 21 | NNE 8 | E 12 | E 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSW 18 | SSE 6 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
49 | 49 | 224 | 24 | 68 | 58 | 35 | 43 | 96 | 149 | 210 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 108 | 16 | 121 | 146 | 104 | 33 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 23 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | E 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSE 10 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | S 20 | SSE 7 | S 18 | SSW 14 | SSE 7 | W 13 | W 12 |
86 | 12 | 68 | 46 | 38 | 38 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 67 | 15 | 99 | 37 | 5 | 13 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 8 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 |
23 | 149 | 41 | 53 | 96 | 75 | 331 | 427 | 185 | 763 | 630 | 534 | 427 | 438 | 427 | 392 | 402 | 427 | 411 | 345 | 365 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 127 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 31 | 30 | 1 | 44 | 38 | 30 | 32 | 38 | 30 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










