Surf Forecasts:
Rockpiles surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, E swell with 2,478 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockpiles this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Rockpiles in the next 16 days are 4.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 12s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockpiles over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s get into it.
First off, the swell direction coming in is not lining up well with what Rockpiles likes best. It’s a top-tier reef break that’s at its best with a clean SSE swell, but what we’ve got coming is mostly ENE and S to SSW. That mismatch, plus a lot of cross-off wind, has put the kibosh on quality surf for most of this outlook. The water temp here is sitting at about 81°F, which is about 1°F off the long-term average, so pretty normal for this time of year.
The next few days are tough. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th have some knee-to-waist high S swell with very long periods (16 to 18 seconds) and moderate wave energy (911 to 840), but that wind is a fresh cross-off at 22 mph out of the ENE. It’s not clean enough to be worth paddling out for. We go through the rest of the week into the weekend with building swell, but it’s short-period (8 to 9 seconds) ENE windswell, and the wind cranks up to strong breeze and near gale-force. By Saturday the 15th, we are talking 12ft to 13ft of messy, wind-affected junk – that’s far too big and blown out, strictly for experts or kitesurfers. There is a hit of very high combined energy (2563) on Saturday afternoon, but the quality is just not there for a paddle surfer.
Monday the 17th to Tuesday the 18th still has cross-off wind and the swell drops back to small, poor-quality stuff. It stays pretty grim through the following week, with a lot of sub-3ft SW and SSW groundswells, but that persistent ENE breeze never gives us the glassy, offshore wind we need.
The best of a bad bunch lands around Monday the 25th of August. On the 25th morning, we see a S/SSW groundswell at 4ft with a long period of 16 seconds, moderate energy at 779, and the wind is a still a cross-off at 19 mph. It’s marginal, but that long period groundswell *could* offer some shape if the tide lines up at this reef. It’s the only day that feels like it has a pulse. The following days up to the 27th keep the same pattern – small, marginal, and cross-off. It’s a lean run. There are no real standouts. The second week is a lot of the same, low-quality stuff.
Overall, this is a poor stretch for surf at Rockpiles. The windows are narrow and never quite come together with clean conditions. The long run of poor quality through the end of August suggests the area is in a bit of a lull, but these forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Wed afternoon). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the ENE on Wed night, strong winds from the ENE by Sat morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Sat night). Mainly near gales. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 14 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
498 | 520 | 501 | 662 | 537 | 514 | 509 | 865 | 1592 | 2353 | 1979 | 1646 | 819 | 561 | 318 | 260 | 203 | 188 | 139 | 121 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:13PM0.75m | 4:30AM0.36m | 4:48PM0.69m | 5:17AM0.40m | 5:22PM0.62m | 6:06AM0.44m | 5:54PM0.53m | 6:57AM0.47m | 6:24PM0.45m | 7:54AM0.49m | 6:52PM0.37m | 8:59AM0.51m | 7:16PM0.30m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:08PM0.04m | 9:58AM0.03m | 11:36PM0.04m | 10:49AM0.08m | 00:03AM0.04m | 11:43AM0.14m | 00:30AM0.05m | 12:43PM0.20m | 00:58AM0.06m | 1:59PM0.25m | 1:27AM0.08m | 3:56PM0.27m | 2:01AM0.10m | |||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
7:02 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | S 7 | ENE 8 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 7 | S 13 |
498 | 520 | 501 | 662 | 537 | 411 | 411 | 243 | 225 | 168 | 173 | 737 | 725 | 100 | 318 | 260 | 170 | 121 | 139 | 80 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 12 | E 11 | E 12 | W 11 | W 13 | SE 13 | S 16 | S 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SW 17 | S 13 | W 12 |
218 | 170 | 113 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 63 | 103 | 10 | 30 | 44 | 83 | 127 | 250 | 264 | 20 | 17 | 74 | 119 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | W 11 | SW 17 | S 16 | S 18 | W 12 | W 12 | S 16 | S 6 | SSW 19 | W 11 | SSE 7 | SW 18 | SSE 6 |
25 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 30 | 9 | 12 | 42 | 56 | 25 | 25 | 81 | 20 | 37 | 10 | 9 | 79 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 7 |
195 | 194 | 226 | 261 | 491 | 514 | 509 | 865 | 1592 | 2353 | 1979 | 1646 | 819 | 561 | — | 237 | 203 | 188 | — | 121 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 41 | 30 | 31 | 127 | 31 | 39 | 47 | 127 | 156 | 157 | 129 | 200 | 47 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 30 | 30 | 38 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rockpiles Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rockpiles provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rockpiles can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rockpiles surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Rockpiles) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Rockpiles may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Rockpiles is 4 km (2 miles) from Honolulu. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in Honolulu. Honolulu has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











