Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the next couple of weeks for Rockpiles.

To be honest, the next week and a half is a bit of a struggle. We've got a solid first half of the forecast period that’s mostly a write-off thanks to some strong, messy winds and a lot of junk swell. Things start to look a whole lot more interesting towards the very end, though, so don't give up just yet.

Right off the bat, the next few days are a no-go. Sunday the 16th is a total mess with a risk of thunderstorms, strong cross-onshore winds, and wave energy up there, but it's all ugly. The swell is a jumbled 10 ft from the ENE with a short, weak period. It's a hard pass. Monday the 17th finally cleans up with cross-offshore winds, but the surf is tiny and weak, just 3 ft. The water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. Nothing to get excited about.

We basically go through a long dry spell from the 18th all the way through the 23rd of August. The swell drops right off, and while the winds are generally clean from the ENE, there just isn't any size or power. You'll see a few tiny pulses of long-period SSW groundswell on the 20th, but at 2 ft it's barely a ripple. It's a grim run for a solid week.

Now, hang in there, because things start to change around the 27th of August. The swell starts to build, but it's still only in the "marginal" range. By the 29th of August, we start seeing some serious size. The Saturday the 29th has a solid 10 ft of ENE swell rolling in, with combined energy climbing into the strong range. The winds are a clean cross-off from the ENE at 19 mph, so the surface should be clean. This is big, punchy beach-break style stuff. At 10 ft with an 8-second period, it's going to be a heavy, powerful beast – definitely one for the experienced crew only. Beginners, stay on the sand.

The best of the lot, the true standout, looks like Monday the 31st of August. The swell drops a bit to a more manageable 4 ft, but the period stretches right out to 13 seconds – proper groundswell energy. The wave energy is still impressive, and the winds are offshore light. This is a sweet spot. That long-period groundswell from the east will offer up some proper lines and shape across the reef. Just remember, long period swells can sometimes break a bit straight on a beach, but on a reef setup like Rockpiles, this is the one to circle on the calendar. Keep an eye on this one.

Take it easy, catch you in the water.
Rusty.

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