Rockpiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Rockpiles. It's a reef setup, pretty exposed and it likes a south-southeast swell to get going.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it's a slow start. We're looking at Friday the 11th to Monday the 14th of September with nothing really worth paddling out for. You'll see small waves around 1 ft to 3.6 ft, but the wind is always cross-off from the east-northeast, chopping things up. The energy readings are low to moderate, and the comments are clear: poor or marginal at best. We're talking weak, short-period leftovers that just aren't lining up. It's a real quiet spell on the reef.

Now, things start to get a bit more interesting around Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th. The swell bumps up a touch to 2.3 ft - 3 ft from the SW with some solid long-period energy (18-20 seconds). The combined energy is getting up there, which is moderate to strong. But here's the kicker – the wind is howling from the ENE at 19-25 mph. That's a strong breeze, and while it's cross-off, it's just too much to make the surf any good on this reef. It's a pass for me.

Thursday the 17th is where we get a change. The swell direction swings around to the east-northeast, pushing 6.6 ft - 7.2 ft. That's a solid size, but the period drops to a short 8-9 seconds. The energy is high, but that short period, mushy swell with 25 mph winds is a recipe for blown-out, lumpy conditions. Honestly, with that much wind and a beach/reef setup, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else. Not our day.

Friday the 18th through Saturday the 19th settles back into a similar pattern: 3.3 ft from the SSW, 16-17 second period, but still pinned with a 19-22 mph east-northeast wind. The energy is strong, but that wind is relentless.

Here's where I see the one true standout: Wednesday the 23rd of September. The swell holds at a solid 7.2 ft - 7.9 ft from the east-northeast, with a short 8-9 second period. Normally, that short period is a bummer, but hear me out. The combined energy readings are strong, and the wind finally eases back to a moderate 12-16 mph from the ENE. The afternoon session on the 23rd gets a score that suggests it's actually worth a look. You'll be looking at some powerful, albeit a bit short-period, waves. It's a bigger day, over 8 ft, so this one is strictly for the experts. Crowds can happen here sometimes, so get there early.

Following that, Thursday the 24th of September offers a different flavour. We've got 6.6 ft from the ENE with a short period, but the wind shifts to a light offshore from the SSE at 9-10 mph in the morning, then a glassy light southerly in the afternoon. That is clean, man. The energy is still high. This will be a much cleaner, more organized wave than the wind-affected days. A proper session for the crew that can handle it.

The final few days from the 25th to the 26th drop back down to smaller, wind-affected surf. It's not the way we'd want to end the run, but that mid-week window is where the action is at.

Stay safe out there.

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