Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down in feet and miles per hour for you.

Listen up, crew. Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a strange one on our hands for the next couple of weeks. The good news is, there are some windows of clean surf, but the bad news is, there are some long dry spells in between. The whole forecast period starts with a bit of a gap, so don't expect much right off the bat.

The first real sniff of something decent is on Friday, August 21st at Rockpiles. It’s a reef break, and it’s fairly consistent, so it’s got a good chance of holding some swell. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year. We’re looking at a small, clean 2 feet of swell coming from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’s going to have some real push to it. The combined energy is moderate at 261, but with a light NE breeze of 6 mph creating cross-off conditions, the surface is going to be smooth. This is a solid, if small, option for the advanced surfer.

However, that window doesn’t last. From Saturday, August 22nd, right through to the end of August, the wind is going to be a real problem. Strong ENE winds, blowing 19 to 25 mph, will trash the surface. The swell will be a mix of short-period, wind-driven junk, mostly from the ENE, and the conditions will be poor. The energy will be moderate to strong, but it’s not going to be any fun to paddle out into. There’s a particular stretch from August 22nd to the 25th where the wind is strong and consistent, and the combined energy jumps into the 500 to 600 range, but it’s all wind chop. It’s a write-off for paddle surfing.

The surf quality starts to look a bit more promising around Wednesday, September 2nd. The wind finally backs off. On Wednesday morning, we’ve got a light NNE breeze of 6 mph, and a 3 feet SSW swell with a 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 370, and the conditions are clean. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, it gets even better – the wind goes glassy, with a 3 mph ENE breeze. That’s about as good as it gets for surface conditions. The same 3 feet, 16-second SSW swell is still running, with energy at 337. This is a standout moment for the period. It’s small, but it’s clean and the swell is good quality.

The long-range forecast into the first week of September has a couple of other interesting windows. On Monday, August 31st, the swell builds to 7 feet from the ENE with a 12-second period, but the breeze is still a fresh 22 mph. That’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. The energy is very strong at 1384, but it won’t be surfable. The following day, September 1st, the swell stays big at 8 feet from the ENE, but again, the wind is a problem. That’s only for the experts, and even then, it’s marginal.

The glassy, clean conditions on September 2nd are the best bet. After that, the wind swings around from the S on September 3rd, blowing directly onshore, and the surf will get messy again. The rest of the period into September 5th is a mix of onshore wind and short-period swell, which is a no-go.

So, the takeaway is: don’t hold your breath for the next week. The standout is Wednesday, September 2nd, with that glassy afternoon session. It’s a small, clean window, but it’s the best we’ve got. The rest of the time, you’re either fighting the wind or chopping through junk.

Rusty.

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