Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s see what we’ve got.

Right now, we’re looking at a pretty slow start. The first week is a bit of a write-off for decent waves, but there’s something brewing for the end of the month that’s worth keeping an eye on.

The surf kicks off on Sunday the 13th, but don’t get excited. Rockpiles is seeing tiny 2ft swell from the SW with a super long 15-second period. The water temp is 81°, which is about average for this time of year. The problem is the wind is a moderate breeze from the ENE at 12 mph, blowing cross-offshore, but the wave energy is weak (133). It’s clean, but it’s just too small and gutless. This pattern sticks around for a few days.

Monday the 14th is more of the same – 2ft at best, with a very long 22-second period. The combined energy is still low (288), and with moderate cross-off winds, it’s a marginal call at best. Tuesday the 15th sees a slight bump to 2ft, but again, the period is long (20 seconds) and the energy is still moderate (438). It’s clean, but the swell is weak and inconsistent.

Wednesday the 16th is a bit more promising, with 3ft from the SW and an 18-second period. The energy is picking up (563), but the wind is freshening to 19 mph from the ENE, still cross-off. It’s clean, but still only marginal.

Then, Thursday the 17th sees a jump to 7ft, but it’s short-period windswell from the ENE at only 7 seconds. The energy is strong (941), but the quality is poor. This is messy, lumpy stuff, and the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off. Not a great combo. This kind of short-period, wind-affected swell dominates through the next week.

Friday the 18th brings a drop back to 3ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, and the energy is very strong (1216). It’s a marginal call, but the longer period is a plus. The wind is still fresh from the ENE, so it’s cross-off and clean, but the size is small.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th is back to short-period windswell, 6ft to 7ft from the ENE, with periods of 7-8 seconds. The energy is high (866-940), but it’s poor quality. The wind stays fresh from the ENE, so it’s cross-off and clean, but the wave shape will be junky.

Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd are more of the same, with 5ft to 6ft short-period swell. But Tuesday afternoon is interesting – the swell jumps to 6ft from the ENE with a 13-second period, and the energy is very strong (1497). This is the first real standout of the forecast. The wind is still fresh cross-off, so it’ll be clean, and the longer period means better shape. This could be worth a look, but the crowds might be a factor as Rockpiles can get busy.

Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th see the biggest swell of the forecast, 8ft to 8ft from the ENE with periods of 9-11 seconds. The energy is very strong (1437-1441). This is big, powerful stuff, and with fresh cross-off winds, it’ll be clean. But at over 8ft, this is for experts only. Beginners should stay out of the water.

The last few days of the forecast, from Friday the 25th to Monday the 28th, show a slow decline. Swell drops from 7ft back to 3ft by Monday, with periods shortening again. The wind stays fresh and cross-off, so conditions remain clean, but the quality fades.

So, the standout window is Tuesday the 22nd through Thursday the 24th, when the swell is biggest and the energy is highest. Tuesday afternoon looks like the sweet spot – 6ft from the ENE with a 13-second period and very strong energy (1497). It’ll be clean with cross-off winds. After that, the size drops and the quality fades.

Rusty.

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