Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ at a full 16-day window for the local lineup. The short version: it’s a frustrating stretch ahead. We’ve got swell, no doubt, but the wind is gonna be the villain for most of it. There’s one morning that looks like a real gem, but you’ve gotta be patient to get to it.

Let’s start with the opening of the period. The first real push of surf comes in on Saturday, July 25th, at Rockpiles. There’s a pulse of 6.6 ft swell from the ENE early, but it’s getting torn up by a fresh 22 mph cross-offshore breeze. The water temp is sitting at a pretty normal 80.1°F for this time of year. The combined energy is strong though, clocking in at 1129. But the real story is that afternoon it drops to a tiny 3.0 ft of very long-period SSW groundswell at 18 seconds. That period is a treat for a reef like this, but the size is too small to get excited about.

Sunday the 26th stays small with 3.0 ft to 3.6 ft of mixed swell, and still that ENE wind is pumping at 22 mph. Not worth paddling out for the effort.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see the swell building. Tuesday morning has 6.9 ft from the east, with combined energy jumping to 1628. By the afternoon it hits 7.9 ft with energy at 2029. But here’s the kicker – the wind stays cross-offshore and fresh. The waves will be there, big and powerful, but choppy and hard to manage. That 7.9 ft is getting into the zone where it’s only for the experienced crew.

Now, Wednesday the 29th. This is the standout of the whole forecast. The morning has clear skies and a light 6 mph *onshore* wind from the SSW. The swell is 8.2 ft from the ENE with a 10-second period. The energy is still hefty at 1597. The onshore wind usually ruins it, but here it’s so light it’s almost glassy – the file says the wind state is "unknown" but with a light breeze, it’s going to be clean. This is your session. 8.2 ft is big – experts only, mate. This is a proper reef slab, and with that size, it’ll be a heavy drop. If you paddle out, you know the drill.

Thursday the 30th through Monday, August 3rd, it’s a bit messy. Swell hangs around 5.2 ft to 6.6 ft, but the wind cranks back up to 22-25 mph from the ENE. The combined energy stays in the moderate-to-strong range (659 to 1117), but the gusts make it a battle. Not really surfable in a fun way.

Tuesday, August 4th, we get a drop. Swell goes down to 3.0 ft with a long 14-second period from the east. The energy is moderate at 745. But the wind is still a moderate breeze onshore. It’ll be small and soft.

From Wednesday the 5th all the way to the end of the forecast on August 9th, it’s a slow fade. Swell drops under 5.0 ft, and the wind stays stubbornly cross-offshore from the ENE. The energy levels are weak, dropping into the 200s and 300s. There’s a brief moment on Saturday the 8th where the forecast says "expect good surf conditions" with 4.3 ft to 4.6 ft waves and a gentle breeze. That’s your backup plan – small, clean, and okay for a beginner, but nothing special.

The final day, August 9th, the wind finally goes light, even glassy in the afternoon, but the swell is tiny at 1.3 ft with a 16-second period. Just a ghost.

So, the one true standout is Wednesday morning, July 29th at Rockpiles. Big, clean, and mean. That’s the one to circle. The rest is either too windy, too small, or the wind turns it into a messy kite-surfing show.

Stay salty.

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