Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer down at Rockpiles over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The surf is there, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag early on. The water temp is sitting at about 80°, which is pretty much average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off on Friday the 24th of July, but it’s not much to write home about. We’ve got a 7 ft swell from the ENE, but it’s a short-period, choppy 7 seconds, and the wind is howling at 25 mph. The combined energy is moderate (1101), but the conditions are marginal. Honestly, it’s a bit of a scratchy session.

Moving into Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, the swell drops right down to 3 ft, but the period jumps way up to 16-18 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which at a reef break like Rockpiles can be a good thing – it’ll likely wrap in with some shape. The wind is still strong, though, hanging around 19 mph, so it’s clean but blown out. The energy is up and down, hitting 1184 and 1204, but the scores are low.

The week of the 27th to the 29th of July is where the tide starts to turn. Monday the 27th sees a building 5 ft to 5 ft swell from the E, with a nice 13-14 second period and a more manageable 16 mph wind. Still clean. By Tuesday the 28th, the swell pushes up to 7 ft, and by the afternoon we’re looking at 8 ft from the E at 13 seconds. That’s serious energy – the combined energy jumps to 2553. That’s getting into the "strong" category. This is heading into solid territory, but at 8 ft, it’s for the experienced crew only.

The standout is Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning is looking brilliant. We’ve got an 8 ft swell from the ENE with an 11-second period, and the wind is barely a whisper at 3 mph, cross-off from the NNE. The energy is very strong (1651). The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. Then in the afternoon, it gets even better – the wind swings to the NNW and goes glassy, dropping to 6 ft but still with a clean 10-second period. That afternoon session is about as clean as it gets. This is the pick of the forecast.

After that, Thursday the 30th of July holds some decent 5 ft to 5 ft ENE swell with a light breeze, so still good. But then from Friday the 31st of July through to the 1st of August, the wind really cranks back up to 22-25 mph, and the swell gets messy. The scores drop to zero. That’s a couple of days where you’d be better off staying on the beach.

We get a bit of a reprieve on the 2nd and 3rd of August, with a 3 ft to 4 ft, long-period E swell (15-16 seconds), but the wind is still a fresh 19 mph. The energy is moderate (1106), but it’s clean. It’s a long-range, low-energy swell, though, so the waves will be few and far between.

The final push comes in the second week, around the 4th and 5th of August. On the 4th, we’ve got a 5 ft ENE swell with a 12-13 second period, and a moderate 12-16 mph breeze. Clean and rideable. The 5th is also 5 ft, but the wind goes more cross-shore and the clouds roll in, so it’s a bit choppier. The energy is on the lower side of moderate (597-552).

From the 6th of August onwards, the forecast gets poor again. The swell drops to a tiny 1 ft, and then the wind ramps up to 25 mph for the rest of the run. The 7th and 8th of August have an 8 ft ENE swell, but it’s short-period (8 seconds) and blown out. The energy is moderate to strong (983-1124), but the conditions are too rough for a good paddle.

So, to wrap it up: Wednesday the 29th of July is the absolute winner. The morning has solid, powerful surf for the advanced crew, and the afternoon is glassy perfection. Tuesday the 28th is a close second for raw power. The rest of the period is a waiting game, with the wind being the main enemy.

Stay sharp and don't miss that Wednesday session.

Rusty.

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