Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Rockpiles. It’s a reef break, and the water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

Honestly, the first week or so is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a persistent cross-off wind from the ENE, blowing at 25-25 mph, and while the surf is clean in the sense of no chop, it’s not doing us any favours. The swell is on the small side, mostly under 7 ft, and the period is short, around 7-8 seconds, which means weak, crumbly waves. The combined energy is moderate but unimpressive, sitting around 500-600 (moderate wave energy). The forecasts are calling it “poor” or “marginal” pretty much right through to the end of July. There’s a brief glimmer on the morning of Monday the 20th of July, with a 3 ft swell from the south at 16 seconds, but with that strong breeze, it’s not going to be worthwhile.

The real standout, and I mean the only one worth getting excited about, is the last couple of days of July and the start of August. On Wednesday the 29th of July, the swell really kicks in. We’re looking at 15 ft on the morning, jumping to 18 ft in the afternoon, both from the ENE with a 14-second period. The combined energy is massive – 8514 and then 11067 (very strong wave energy). That is a serious amount of water moving. This is a powerful, long-period groundswell. For a reef like Rockpiles, that’s the kind of juice that can make for some awesome, heavy waves. But listen, that’s well over 8 ft, so this is strictly for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay well away.

Then on Thursday the 30th of July, the wind drops right out. It goes from a moderate breeze to a slight air, with the morning showing 3 mph cross-off from the ENE. The swell is still a solid 12 ft, with a 11-second period, and the combined energy is 3108 (very strong wave energy). The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s the one. That’s the window. The swell direction is ENE, which is a good match for the break’s optimum of SSE, so it should be hitting the reef with some real power and shape. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 8 ft and the wind turns a little cross, but still light. That morning is the clear winner.

After that, it tapers off. The rest of the first week of August is just back to that same old cross-off wind and small, weak swell. The window is tight, but if you’re an experienced surfer, the morning of the 30th of July is the time to be at Rockpiles.

Rusty

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