Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, pull up a seat. Rusty here, and I’ve been digging through the numbers for Rockpiles. Let’s call it how it is – it’s a tough few weeks, but there are a couple of moments you won’t want to miss.

Rockpiles is a reef slab, and the water temp is about average for this time of year. The swell energy is weak to moderate at best – we see a high of 1951 (combined energy) early on, but the wind and swell direction don’t cooperate.

The first few days are a wash. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th have some shoulder-high swell around 7ft to 8ft from the ENE, but the wind is cross-off or cross, and it’s all “marginal surf” with thunderstorm risks. Not worth suiting up. Tuesday the 8th is a total loss with onshore wind and poor conditions.

Things drop off hard mid-week. Wednesday the 9th bottoms out to knee-high 3ft to 3ft. Energy is weak (526 to 536). Don’t bother.

Now, Thursday the 10th through the weekend of the 12th-13th, we get a cleaner run of cross-off winds from the ENE, but the swell is small – around 4ft to 5ft. The period is short at 7 to 12 seconds, so the waves will be a bit weak and crumbly. Energy sits low (570 to 901). You could poke around for a couple of grovelly ones, but it’s nothing special.

The one real highlight is Monday the 14th afternoon. We’ve got a tiny 1ft swell, but the period jumps to a massive 22 seconds. The “expect good surf conditions” note and clean cross-off breeze (15 km/h) mean that reef is going to turn that super long-period groundswell into pristine, lined-up waves. The energy is only 339, so it’s small, but for that kind of period on a reef, you might get a handful of perfectly peeling, glassy rides. It’s a connoisseur’s session.

From the 15th all the way to the 21st, it’s a long, flat, windy stretch. Swell stays under 3ft, period is long but from the wrong direction (SW/SSW), and the ENE wind picks up to 25 mph or stronger. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The energy climbs a bit (480 to 804) but conditions are rated as poor or marginal. Leave it.

The only true standout is that Monday 14th afternoon session at Rockpiles. It’s tiny, but the very long period groundswell on a reef with clean winds could give you a few unforgettable, silky waves.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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