Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and settle in. Rusty here with a look at what’s cooking for Rockpiles over the next couple of weeks. Let’s be honest from the start – this isn't going to be a classic run.

We’ve got a whole heap of days ahead, but the forecast is basically a long, frustrating wait. For the first week, through to around Tuesday the 3rd of September, the wind is a real problem. It’s hammering straight out of the ENE, gusting 18 to 25 mph, and sitting as a cross-offshore breeze. While cross-off is usually okay, the strength of it is just tearing the surface up. The swell is mostly small to average, around 5 ft to 6 ft, but it’s coming from that same ENE direction with a short period of just 7 to 8 seconds. That’s weak, disorganised stuff. The combined energy is mostly in the moderate range (between 463 and 872), but the quality is poor. The data calls it "poor surf conditions" or "marginal" every single time through this whole stretch. Honestly, it looks more like a kite session than a paddle-out.

Now, there is a flicker of hope. On Wednesday the 4th of September, the swell direction swings around to the south for a moment, and we see a period jump to 16 seconds, with combined swell energy hitting 848. That’s proper groundswell energy, but the height is only around 3 ft. Still, a shift in direction and a long period is something to note, even if it’s marginal.

The real standout, the one that has me a little more interested, is down the line a bit. Keep your eye on Sunday the 8th of September. The swell is predicted to be 13 ft from the ENE, with a period stretching out to 11 seconds. The combined wave energy is 4141 – that’s very strong. But that comes with a massive caveat. That is a lot of ocean. Over 8 ft at this break, and you’re looking at an expert-only zone. Add in the fact that the wind is still blowing a strong 28 mph breeze, even as cross-off, and the forecast is still only "marginal". This is a long-range call, so it’s promising but not certain. If that ENE swell lines up right with the optimum SSE direction, it could be a serious day for those who know what they’re doing, but the wind is the big worry.

The rest of the second week just fades out. By the 9th of September, the swell drops back down to sub-3 ft with short periods, and by the 13th, we’re looking at tiny 2 ft waves with a gentle breeze and cross-shore conditions. Not worth paddling for.

So, if you’re a beginner, don’t even think about it until conditions clean up. For the experienced crew, that Sunday the 8th is the only date on the calendar that might offer something special, but it’s a gamble. For now, I’d be checking the wind forecasts daily.

Rusty.

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