Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up at Rockpiles over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta say – the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s surf on offer, but the conditions are often marginal, and the wind is a persistent cross-off from the ENE. That’s not terrible, but it’s not the glassy perfection we dream of. The water temp is sitting right about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The action starts Saturday the 25th of July. Morning has a solid 7 ft of swell from the ENE, but it’s short-period stuff at 8 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping at 1170 – that’s strong. The wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off, so it’ll be clean but a bit bumpy. Probably just a session for the keen ones. The afternoon drops to 3 ft, but the swell swings to the SSW with a long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell, but the energy is still high (1112). The wind stays fresh, so it’s rideable but not epic.

Sunday the 26th is similar – morning 3 ft from the SSW at 16 seconds, energy 1219, still that cross-off ENE breeze. Afternoon picks up to 4 ft from the east at 14 seconds. It’s clean, but nothing to write home about. Monday the 27th sees the swell building to 5 ft in the morning, then 5 ft in the afternoon from the east, period dropping to 14 seconds. The wind eases a touch to a moderate breeze, but it’s still cross-off.

Tuesday the 28th is the first real standout. The morning brings 7 ft from the east at 13 seconds, with moderate ENE wind – the energy is 1673, which is strong. The afternoon is even better: 8 ft from the east at 13 seconds, and the energy jumps to 2744 – that’s very strong. Wind is a fresh cross-off, but the sheer size and power will have the experts foaming. This is big, powerful reef surf. Be aware that 8 ft is expert territory, and the ENE swell direction isn’t the ideal SSE that Rockpiles loves best, but there’s plenty of juice in the water.

Wednesday the 29th is a weird one. Morning has a risk of thunderstorms, and the wind goes onshore from the SSE at 9 mph. The swell is 10 ft from the ENE, but with an 11-second period and energy of 1903. It’s messy. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 7 ft, but the wind swings south and the conditions go poor. Thursday the 30th is a letdown – 6 ft in the morning from the ESE, but with short 8-second period and a cross-chop from the wind. Afternoon is 5 ft, same short period, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off. Clean, but the quality is marginal.

Friday the 31st of July and Saturday the 1st of August bring a lot of wind – strong breeze at 25 mph from the ENE. The swell is 8 ft to 8 ft from the east, but with a short 8-second period. The energy is strong (1121-1238), but the wind is whipping it up. It’s going to be a battle. Not for the faint-hearted.

Sunday the 2nd of August sees the swell easing to 6 ft in the morning, then 6 ft in the afternoon, still from the ENE with a short period. The wind drops to a fresh breeze, but it’s still cross-off. Average at best.

Now, here’s a little glimmer of hope. Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning is 6 ft from the ENE at 13 seconds, with a light breeze and a cross-shore wind. The combined energy is 1076 – strong. The afternoon is the real gem: 6 ft from the ENE at 12 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions”. That’s the best call in the whole run. The swell is solid, the period is long enough to hold shape, and the wind is light – it’ll be clean. This is the standout session. Keep an eye on Tuesday the 4th.

After that, the surf fades. Wednesday the 5th is 4 ft, dropping to 4 ft, with short period and low energy. Thursday the 6th is tiny – 1 ft from the SW at 15 seconds, but with barely any energy (80). It’s surfable but ordinary. From Friday the 7th through to Sunday the 9th of August, the swell is 6 ft to 6 ft from the ENE, but with a very short 7-8 second period and strong winds. The conditions are poor. There’s a gap of a few days with no real quality surf on offer.

So, to wrap it up: Tuesday the 28th of July has the most size and power for the experts, but Tuesday the 4th of August is the one that’ll have the best blend of size, period, and light wind. Get it while it’s good.

Rusty.

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