Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, S swell with 4,712 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rolling Stones this week:
The surf forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rolling Stones in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's break down what we've got on the table.
We've got a solid run of action coming through for Rolling Stones, but you gotta be patient. The week ahead is a bit of a slow burn before some proper juice turns up.
Thursday, August 27th kicks it off with a 6ft south swell, carrying a whole lot of energy (1929). The wind is light from the east, so it's just crossing, but the report calls the surf marginal. Expect a bit of chop on the face. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a touch colder than we'd usually expect for late August.
Friday the 28th the swell backs off a little to 5ft and then 4ft, but the wind swings around to a clean cross-off from the north. Conditions look cleaner, but the waves are nothing to write home about.
Saturday and Sunday (29th & 30th) are small. Morning offshores on Saturday are nice, but with only 3ft of swell, the energy (243) is low. By Sunday, it drops to a tiny 2ft. These are good days to fix your dings or just sit on the beach.
Monday, August 31st is a real warning sign. The morning shows a solid 10ft swell from the SSW, but with a short, weak period (8 seconds) and a strong onshore wind. That is not going to be a paddle; that's a washing machine. Then in the afternoon, the period jumps up to 15 seconds for a big 5ft groundswell, delivering huge energy again (1903), but the wind shifts to the southwest at 16 mph, creating a nasty cross-chop. This is one for experts only, and even then, it's going to be a battle.
Tuesday, September 1st is more of the same—strong south swell with rain and strong SSW winds. The ocean will be messy and blown out. Not worth getting wet.
Now, for the standout. If you want the best window, lock in Wednesday, September 2nd. Morning session is the pick: a clean 7ft south swell (1415 energy) with a light northwesterly cross-off, offering glassy conditions. That is very good quality for experienced surfers. The afternoon cleans up nicely too with a 6ft swell and light offshore winds. This is the day.
From Thursday the 3rd through the weekend and into the following week, the size drops back down to 4ft and under. The wind stays clean, but the energy is low. It’s just small, ordinary waves.
The next real blip of interest isn't until Wednesday, September 9th. We see a 8ft south swell roll in with moderate wave energy (1087) and a solid 16 mph cross-offshore wind from the northwest. It looks clean and punchy. This is promising, but we're talking over a week away, so keep your expectations loose.
The very end of the run on September 10th and 11th fades out to small, mixed-up swell and strong winds. Not much to get excited about.
So, overall: sit tight through the mushy start and the rough Monday. The absolute gold is Wednesday, September 2nd, with a clean, solid south swell at Rolling Stones. The second, less certain, option is Wednesday, September 9th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 6°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon night, calm by Wed morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | S 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 8 | S 15 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1881 | 1750 | 901 | 543 | 350 | 216 | 202 | 154 | 80 | 76 | 168 | 893 | 1193 | 2571 | 1514 | 1886 | 4712 | 1415 | 885 | 517 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:59PM1.50m | 5:22AM1.41m | 5:47PM1.53m | 6:11AM1.46m | 6:33PM1.57m | 6:58AM1.52m | 7:20PM1.62m | 7:44AM1.59m | 8:05PM1.66m | 8:29AM1.65m | 8:52PM1.69m | 9:13AM1.70m | 9:40PM1.69m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:15PM0.34m | 11:32AM0.32m | 00:03AM0.30m | 12:17PM0.28m | 00:49AM0.26m | 1:02PM0.25m | 1:35AM0.24m | 1:48PM0.24m | 2:20AM0.23m | 2:37PM0.24m | 3:05AM0.23m | 3:28PM0.25m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NE 6 | SSW 13 | ENE 9 | S 15 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 10 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
1881 | 1750 | 901 | 543 | 350 | 216 | 202 | 154 | 80 | 19 | 168 | 30 | 1193 | 2571 | 1514 | 19 | 4712 | 1415 | 885 | 517 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | ESE 10 | SE 12 | NE 6 | SE 14 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 15 | ENE 6 | S 12 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | S 16 | S 15 |
36 | 10 | 5 | 50 | 7 | 42 | 31 | 38 | 26 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 34 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 72 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | — | SE 15 | SE 15 | N 9 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 14 | SSE 10 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 10 |
12 | — | 9 | 8 | 2 | 27 | 25 | 6 | 33 | 37 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NW 3 | NE 6 | SW 2 | — | WNW 2 | SSW 8 | S 9 | — | W 4 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | NW 4 |
— | 21 | 26 | 101 | 46 | 93 | 6 | 49 | 1 | — | 1 | 893 | 710 | — | 18 | 1886 | — | — | — | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 47 | 82 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rolling Stones Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rolling Stones provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rolling Stones can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rolling Stones 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 (Rolling Stones) 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 Rolling Stones 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.
Rolling Stones is 48 km (30 miles) from the city of Gisborne. If you plan a holiday in Gisborne and Mahia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Gisborne. Gisborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











