Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is a tough one. We’ve got a fair bit of onshore wind and the swell is mostly short-period, wind-driven stuff. The water temp is sitting around average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. The real standout, and the only spot I’d even bother paddling out at, is Rockpiles. It’s a reef break, exposed to the SSE swell, which is a good thing. The best action looks to be from Thursday afternoon, 20th August, through to Saturday morning, 22nd August. We’ve got a solid S/SW groundswell rolling in, with a long period of 16 to 18 seconds. That means proper energy and shape – the combined energy is moderate (around 254 to 405). The wind is a light cross-off or cross-shore, keeping things clean. On Thursday afternoon, the swell is around 2ft from the SSW, but with that long period, it’ll pack a punch. It’s small, but it’ll be lined up. Friday and Saturday mornings look even better, with the swell nudging up to 2ft, same direction, and the wind easing off to a light breeze. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

Now, after that Saturday morning session, the quality drops off a cliff. From Sunday, 23rd August, we’ve got a run of poor surf – the wind swings back to a fresh ENE breeze, and the swell becomes a short-period, lumpy ENE windswell. This is a 4-day gap of nothing worth writing home about. The combined energy drops, and we’re looking at messy, blown-out conditions.

Then, from Wednesday, 26th August, things get interesting again, but this is for the *advanced crew only*. The swell builds rapidly, hitting 8ft on Wednesday, then 10ft from Thursday, 27th August, through to Saturday, 29th August. That’s serious size – over 8ft is expert territory. The swell direction is ENE, and the period stays short at 8 seconds, so it’s not the cleanest groundswell. The combined energy jumps into the strong range (1298 to 2697). The wind is a cross-off, but it’s a fresh 15 to 19 mph, keeping the surface bumpy. This is big, raw, wind-affected surf. Not for the faint-hearted.

By Saturday afternoon, 29th August, the swell drops back down to 3ft, and conditions turn poor again. The final week is a mixed bag of short-period windswell and some better SSW pulses, but nothing that really screams “paddle out.”

The Best Bet: If you’re a confident surfer, the Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd August window is the pick – small but clean, with long-period groundswell at Rockpiles. For the big wave hunters, the 27th to 29th August is a serious, heavy swell window, but it’s raw and rough.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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