Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Rockpiles. Gotta be honest with you, the next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag – a lot of waiting for the good stuff to line up, but when it does, there’s some serious grunt on the table.

Right now, we’re sittin’ in a bit of a flat spell. The water temp is sittin’ around 81°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing to write home about. The first few days up to the morning of the 8th of August are pretty much a no-go. We’ve got tiny little 1 ft swell from the SSW, but it’s gettin’ knocked around by a solid 16 mph cross-off wind from the ENE. The energy is weak (165) and the surf is just poor. Not worth paddling out for.

The morning of the 8th of August sees a jump in size, but it’s a messy one. The swell hits 5 ft from the ENE, but with a short, weak period of only 6 seconds and the same stiff cross-off breeze at 22 mph, it’s gonna be a choppy, lumpy mess. The energy is moderate (500), but the quality is poor. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – the wind and chop will be a handful for a surfer. That continues into the 9th with 6 ft and a bit more period (7 seconds), but still only marginal surf at best.

Now, hold on to your board shorts, because from the 11th of August things start to change. The wind stays a persistent cross-off, but on the 12th of August we see a long-period groundswell start to fill in. By the morning of the 12th, we’ve got 3 ft from the S with a period of 18 seconds, and the energy is strong (859). This is proper groundswell – long, clean lines, though it’s still only marginal surf due to the wind. The 13th of August keeps that S swell around 4 ft, period 15-16 seconds, with energy holding strong (857). The offshore wind direction is still cross-off, but the swell direction from the S is not the optimum SSE that Rockpiles loves. Still, it’s a big step up in quality.

The real standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is the weekend of the 15th and 16th of August. This is where it gets serious. From the 15th of August, we’ve got a solid 10 ft to 12 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 8-9 seconds. The energy is massive – over 1,900 (1968) on the afternoon of the 15th. That’s strong to very strong wave energy. Now, the catch is that this is a short-period swell, not a groundswell, and the wind is a stiff 25-28 mph cross-off. The surf will be big, powerful, and chunky. This is expert territory – over 8 ft, so it’s not for the faint of heart. The break is a reef, so it can handle a big swell, but the ENE direction is not the optimum SSE, so it might not be as perfect as it could be. The crowds are “sometimes” here, so it might get a bit busy if the word gets out.

The 17th of August still holds 8 ft from the ENE with moderate energy (1,191), and the wind drops to 19 mph. Still a cross-off, but the quality is improving to “marginal” with a score of 2. This is the best of the second week – still big, but a touch more manageable. After that, things slowly wind down through the 18th and 19th, with the swell dropping to 7 ft and then 6 ft, and the energy falls off. By the 20th of August, we’re back to small, weak SW swell of 2 ft-2 ft, and the poor surf returns.

So, the best bet for the experienced crew is the 15th and 16th of August for the sheer size and power, but be ready for a bumpy, wind-affected ride. The 17th of August offers a slightly cleaner window with still big waves. For the rest of us, it’s a long wait for anything clean and rideable. The first week is a write-off, and the second week is a gamble on the wind. It’s a tough forecast, but that’s the ocean for ya.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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