Rolling Stones Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.83° E

Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rolling Stones sea temperature is
12.1° C
1.9° 

Rolling Stones surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rolling Stones surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, SSW swell with 1,595 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Sun 9th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 11s
Best Surf 6AM (Sun 9th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 11s
Most Powerful 6AM (Sun 16th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the card for the coming weeks. We've got one main spot to work with, and it's a bit of a mixed bag, so I'll break it down day by day.

We're starting off with a bit of a slow burn. The first real action to talk about is on Sunday the 9th of August. Rolling Stones is a reef break, so it handles swell well, and it's fairly exposed to the south. The morning kicks off with a clean 4ft south swell, with a moderate 666 units of energy behind it. The wind is a cross-off, which should keep the face tidy. It's not the biggest, but it's rideable and the conditions are right. Monday morning the 10th sees the swell drop to 3ft and the energy dips right down to 178 units, so it's pretty weak. The wind is light, but we're looking at a cross-off, so it's still clean. It's surfable, but nothing to get too excited about.

Now, we hit a bit of a lull. From Monday afternoon right through to Friday the 14th, the conditions just aren't there. The wind switches onshore, the swell gets messy, and the energy drops into the low hundreds or even double digits. There's a window on Tuesday morning the 11th with a 6ft south swell and a huge 1035 units of energy, but the wind is a cross-shore and the report says it's marginal. Not worth the paddle out. The same goes for Wednesday morning the 12th with a 6ft SSE swell and 501 units of energy. It's clean, but the wind is light cross-off, and the report says it's only "expect good surf conditions" on that morning, but the rest of the week is a write-off.

Then things get a bit wild. From Saturday the 15th, the swell starts to kick up hard. Saturday morning brings a 6ft east swell with 673 units and clean cross-off wind, but Saturday afternoon the wind turns onshore and the report flags it as poor. By Sunday the 16th, we're looking at 12ft to 13ft south swell with over 2000 units of energy, but it's accompanied by a strong onshore wind. This is big, powerful, blown-out stuff. This pattern of big, messy swell continues right through to Thursday the 20th of August. The swell peaks at 16ft on Wednesday the 19th with a massive 6967 units of energy, but the wind is fresh cross-onshore and lumpy. This is not for the faint of heart, and honestly, it looks more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone on a paddle board. The energy is huge, but the quality is poor.

Finally, we get a reprieve. On Friday the 21st of August, the swell drops back to a clean 5ft SSE swell with 477 units of energy. The wind is a light cross-off from the northeast, and the report says "expect good surf conditions." This is your best window. It's clean, a manageable size, and the wind is right. The following morning, Saturday the 22nd, is also worth a look with a 5ft south swell and a 13 second period, which is a nice long groundswell, but it's listed as marginal. The wind is light cross-off, so it might be worth a paddle if you're keen, but Friday morning is the standout.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is pretty average, but Friday the 21st of August morning is the clear winner. The swell is solid, the wind is offshore, and it'll be clean. Get on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu night, min 8°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the NE by Thu night).

Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
2
1
0
0
1
0
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
S
11
1.3
S
11
0.9
S
13
1.1
S
12
0.9
SSE
10
0.9
SSE
10
0.7
SSE
12
1.7
S
9
1.3
SSW
8
1.7
SSE
10
1.7
SSE
10
1.5
SSE
9
1.4
SE
10
1
SE
8
0.9
SE
8
0.7
SE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
1.5
E
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
565
388
289
341
173
163
131
435
214
596
495
346
357
136
107
62
41
45
298
Wind (km/h)
15
N
15
N
15
NNE
10
NNE
10
W
10
S
20
SW
20
WSW
15
S
5
NW
10
NNE
20
NE
20
NNE
20
NNE
30
NE
40
NE
20
NE
15
NE
15
NW
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
1:29AM1.67m
2:00PM1.77m
2:29AM1.68m
2:59PM1.81m
3:29AM1.69m
3:57PM1.84m
4:28AM1.70m
4:56PM1.86m
5:26AM1.71m
5:54PM1.87m
6:24AM1.72m
6:49PM1.87m
Low Tide
7:41AM0.25m
8:22PM0.24m
8:41AM0.22m
9:21PM0.19m
9:43AM0.16m
10:20PM0.15m
10:43AM0.10m
11:18PM0.11m
11:39AM0.06m
00:16AM0.09m
12:32PM0.05m
1:11AM0.09m
part cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:01
7:01
6:58
6:58
6:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:24
5:25
5:27
5:28
5:29
5:29
 mm
7
1
2
2
Temp °C
11
15
14
12
14
15
11
11
12
9
12
12
10
14
14
15
15
15
13
Feels °C
8
12
11
10
11
12
8
8
9
7
8
8
6
9
9
12
13
14
11
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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