Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First off, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The early part of the outlook is pretty quiet, with only small, clean swell at Rockpiles. The water temp is running about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout window is shaping up around Thursday, 20 August. That morning, Rockpiles is seeing a 2ft SSW groundswell, with a period of 18 seconds—that’s a long-period, deep-ocean pulse. The wind is light and variable from the NE at 6 mph, keeping it clean. The combined energy is moderate at 262, and the offshore direction is N, which is a good match for this reef. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but you can expect crowds sometimes. For a reef break, that long period will give you real shape and power, with nice gaps between sets. Thursday afternoon is even better: the wind goes offshore at 3 mph, glassy conditions, with the same 2ft SSW swell. That’s the pick of the whole period—clean, lined-up, and easy to paddle out.

After that, we get into a rough stretch. From Saturday, 22 August, the wind cranks up and stays strong, with conditions turning poor. The swell picks up a bit, but it’s short-period windswell and the wind is ripping. By Sunday, 23 August, the swell hits 6ft ENE, but it’s a messy, short 7-second period, and the wind is a strong breeze. That’s only for experts, and even then, the quality is poor. This windy, messy pattern sticks around for well over a week, with very little surf worth chasing.

Then, look out for Tuesday, 1 September. That’s when we see a major shift. The swell is 7ft ENE, period jumps to 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 1506—strong. The wind is still cross-off, but the swell is building. By Wednesday, 2 September, it’s 10ft E at 13 seconds, with energy over 3000. That’s a very long-period groundswell, and at 10ft it’s solidly in the expert-only zone. The reef at Rockpiles will handle it, but the strong breeze is a concern. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out—keep an eye on it.

So, to wrap it up: the best surf is Thursday, 20 August at Rockpiles, with small, clean, long-period SSW swell and offshore winds. After that, there’s a long gap of poor conditions until the last few days of the window, which show a big, powerful groundswell that’s worth watching.

Stay frothy.

Rusty

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