Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here with the lowdown on Rockpiles for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a rough one. The whole 16-day window is full of "poor surf conditions" or "marginal" calls, even when there's plenty of water moving. The big problem is that onshore wind is gonna be a constant pain, and the swell direction is mostly from the ENE, which ain't its best. Rockpiles wants it from the SSE to really work. So, we're looking at a long stretch of messy, unappealing surf.

The first real chance to even think about paddling out doesn't come until Wednesday, August 5th, but even then, it's weak. We're talking about a 4ft swell from the ENE with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is only 347 (weak). Winds are a cross-off 16 mph, so it's not completely blown out, but the report calls it "marginal" and gives it a score of 1. That's not a recommendation, that's a warning. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are a complete write-off. Swell drops to 1ft from the SSW and SW, with a crazy long 21-second period on Friday morning. That's a lot of energy for such a tiny wave – it'll just be a slow, fat bump. The combined energy is moderate (151 to 213), but it's useless for riding.

The weekend of August 8th and 9th sees a jump in size to 6ft, but it's short-period windswell from the ENE (6-7 seconds), and the wind is up to 22 mph. The energy numbers are climbing into the moderate range (501 to 595), but the wind is a strong cross-off. This is the kind of slop that makes you question your life choices. Look, this setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Then the second week is where it gets proper chunky, but also more frustrating. From Monday, August 11th, through to the end of the window, the swell builds from 4ft up to a massive 10ft by Tuesday, August 19th. The combined energy goes through the roof – we're talking 843, then 934, and finally hitting 1478 and 1537 on the 18th and 19th. That's strong to very strong energy. The problem is, it's still mostly short-period ENE windswell, and the wind is a relentless 19-28 mph cross-off. The wave state is always "clean" in the sense of no rain, but it's going to be a choppy, bumpy, wind-blown mess. The best score you get for any of this is a 3 on the morning of August 20th, when the wind drops to a moderate 12 mph. That's the only faint glimmer of hope, but with a 8ft swell from the ENE, it's gonna be a tough, drifty paddle.

So, the honest truth? There are no true standouts here. Nothing is worth a dedicated trip. If you're desperate for a session, the least worst options are the morning of August 20th, when the wind is lightest, or maybe the afternoon of August 18th when the energy is huge (1499) and the wind is a "fresh breeze" rather than a "strong breeze." But with 10ft waves and a poor direction, that's expert-only territory.

For the rest of the time, save your energy. The forecast is poor, and it tends to stay that way for a while here when the trades are howling.

Rusty.

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