Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what’s shaping up for the local stretch.

We’ve got a couple of real highlights coming over the next couple of weeks, but there’s a fair bit of average stuff to wade through first. The standout is the morning of Saturday the 17th of August, but the biggest, cleanest, most powerful wave of the whole window is actually the morning of Monday the 19th of August.

First up, for the early morning of Saturday, August 8th, we’re looking at Rolling Stones. This is an advanced reef break, and it’s pretty consistent. The early session is the pick of the weekend. Swell is a solid 7 ft from the south with a long, juicy 12-second period. That’s a proper groundswell with plenty of energy in the water (1263). The wind is light from the NW at just 3 mph – that’s glassy, offshore perfection. The water is sitting at 54°F, which is a bit colder than we’d normally expect for this time of year. The quality is set to be very good, but it’s also a spot that sees crowds sometimes, so get there early.

Through the rest of that weekend and into the next week, the surf drops right off. Sunday the 9th has a small 4 ft south swell and a decent 9 mph offshore wind, but it’s just not packing the punch. The wave energy drops to 666. From Monday the 10th through to Thursday the 14th, it’s a real struggle. We’re looking at puny waves under 3 ft with weak periods and energy numbers dropping below 200. There’s a long gap of small, ordinary conditions here.

The pattern starts to change late on Friday, August 14th. The afternoon sees a clean 5 ft easterly swell with a light 3 mph offshore wind from the NW. It’s short-period stuff at 8 seconds, but the conditions are clean. The energy is still moderate at 291, but it’s a sign of life.

Now, Saturday the 15th gets messy. A 8 ft south-southwest swell in the afternoon has a lot of energy (1174), but the 16 mph cross-shore wind is ruining it for paddle surfing. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday, August 16th, the morning is a monstrous 12 ft south-southwest swell with a moderate 11-second period, and the energy is proper strong at 4281. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s not clean, but there’s some serious power. This is experts-only territory—way too big for beginners.

The absolute best of the whole forecast is the morning of Monday, August 17th. We’re talking a massive 16 ft south swell, a 11-second period, and a massive 5635 energy score. The wind is light from the west at 6 mph, blowing cross-offshore, making it clean. The file says it’s excellent for experienced surfers, and I’m telling you, this is the one to circle. That’s a big, heavy, powerful south swell for the reef. Get it.

The afternoon of the 17th and all of Tuesday the 18th turn into a write-off for us. The wind swings onshore and howls, making a mess of the huge swell. The swell peaks at 18 ft on Tuesday morning, but with 22 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s a washing machine.

From Wednesday the 19th onward, the swell drops back but remains strong. It’s mostly cross-onshore or onshore winds, making conditions poor for paddle surfing. The waves are still for experts only, with 8 ft to 12 ft south swells, but the wind just won’t cooperate. The window closes with small, weak waves by the 23rd.

So, to sum it up: the standout is the morning of Monday, August 17th at Rolling Stones. That’s the big, clean, powerful groundswell you don’t want to miss. The early morning of the 8th is your best bet for the near term.

Rusty.

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