Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, checkin’ in with the outlook for Rockpiles. This is a reef setup, so it handles swell well, but the wind’s gonna be the main conversation.

Water temp is sittin' at a comfortable 81°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. Feels like home.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. Tuesday morning (11th August) is super marginal, with a weak 4ft swell from the ENE at a short 7 seconds, and a cross-off wind that’s ok but not perfect. The energy is weak (403). Honestly, not much to write home about.

The pattern picks up a little through Wednesday (12th) and Thursday (13th), with a small S swell creepin' in, around 3ft to 4ft, and a period that gets longer, up to 14-18 seconds. That’s a groundswell, boys. It’s got some proper shape, but the wind stays a stiff cross-off from the ENE, around 18-22 mph, which will keep things a bit lumpy. Wave energy is moderate, around 814-884. It’s surfable, but it’s not gonna be a standout day.

Friday (14th) is similar, just a touch smaller. Then Saturday (15th) and Sunday (16th) see a new pulse from the ENE, but the swell gets bigger and the wind cranks up to 25-31 mph. The wave energy jumps to 1743-1762, which is strong, but that’s a messy, strong cross-off wind. The swell also gets shorter period, around 10-11 seconds, so it’s a bit of a windswell. For the advanced crew, the 8ft on Sunday morning might be worth a look, but it’s gonna be raw.

Now, the real standout is showing up on Monday, 17th August. The swell jumps to 10ft from the ENE with a 12-second period, and the wave energy is huge – 2567 to 2992. That’s proper power. The wind is cross-off from the east, 12-16 mph, which is manageable, and the afternoon session is cleaner. This is a big swell for the reef, and it’s gonna be a proper challenge. Only experts should be out there. It’s the best-looking day in the whole window.

After that, the swell drops off a cliff. Tuesday (18th) through to Friday (21st) is a mix of tiny 2ft to 3ft swells, mostly from the S or SSW, with poor energy, often under 300. The wind stays cross-off, but there’s just not enough juice. There’s a real gap of a few days here where the surf is pretty flat.

We get a tiny glimmer on Saturday, 22nd August. The swell is only 2ft to 2ft from the SSW, but the period is a solid 15-16 seconds, and the wind is light, 6-9 mph out of the NE. That’s a glassy, clean, long-period groundswell. It’s small, but if you’ve got a log, that’s a fun, clean little session. The energy is low (248-281), but the conditions will be sweet.

The rest of the week into late August is a waiting game. A few more pulses of S swell in the 2ft-5ft range, with some longer periods, but the wind is always a moderate to fresh cross-off. It’s consistent but not epic. The 25th and 26th see a bit more energy (up to 1366) and a 5ft, 17-18 second swell from the S, which is promising, but it’s a long way out.

So, to wrap it up: the standout is Monday, 17th August, for the big 10ft ENE groundswell. That’s the one for the big wave chargers. The rest of the window is a mix of small, clean days and windy, marginal stuff. Get on it if you can.

Rusty, signing off.

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