Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next few weeks for Rockpiles. It’s a reef break, and it’s got some serious potential, but we’ve got to pick our moments.

The overall pattern? It’s a slow burner. The forecast starts off pretty average, with small, short-period swell and a persistent cross-offshore breeze that keeps things clean but doesn’t do much for the wave quality. We’ve got a few days of marginal conditions before things start looking a bit more interesting in the second week. The real standout? That’s looking like Tuesday, the 15th of September, and Wednesday, the 16th.

Right now, on Thursday the 10th, we’ve got a 5ft swell from the ENE, but with a period of only 7 seconds, it’s just too weak and short to really get the reef working. The energy is only moderate at 477 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The wind is a cross-off from the ENE, which is fine for the surface, but the waves are just too weak.

Friday the 11th is a step up. The swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the period jumps to 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The energy is a moderate 648. Still, the wind is a clean cross-off, so the surface will be nice. It’s a marginal call, but it’s a better prospect than Thursday.

Now, the weekend and early next week are small. Saturday the 12th drops to 2ft, and by Sunday and Monday, we’re looking at ankle-biters with a few long-period pulses that are just too small to push. Energy drops right down to 135 (combined energy of all swells directed here) on Monday the 14th. A big gap of small, flat days.

Then we hit the sweet spot. Tuesday the 15th of September – this is the standout. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the SW, but with a period of 20 seconds. That is a very long period groundswell. The energy is moving back up to 408. The wind swings to light cross-shore in the morning then a gentle cross-off in the afternoon. For a reef break like Rockpiles, this long-period swell is perfect. The waves will have serious shape, power, and long, clean walls. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Wednesday the 16th is a very close second. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SSW, still with an 18-second period. Energy is a solid 670. The wind is a cross-off in the afternoon, keeping it clean. The only hiccup is a risk of thunderstorms in the morning, but that often brings glassy conditions. If you can get out in the afternoon, it’ll be firing. The optimum swell direction for Rockpiles is SSE, so this SSW pulse is a great match.

After that, from the 17th through the 19th, the wind gets strong – fresh to strong breeze from the ENE. The swell hangs around, but the wind is just too much for quality surf. It’ll be choppy and blown out, maybe more of a kite session.

The end of the run, around the 20th to the 25th, sees a shift back to shorter-period ENE swell. The size comes up to around 4ft to 5ft, but the period drops back to 8 or 9 seconds. The energy stays moderate (around 500-700), but it’s not the same quality as those groundswell days. It’s a couple of weeks out, so long-range, but it looks like a return to smaller, less exciting surf.

Water temperature? It’s about average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary for Rockpiles.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th of September. The long-period SW swells with clean winds will make Rockpiles a proper gem. Get on it.

Rusty.

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