Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 6,595 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rolling Stones in the next 16 days are 4.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the coming weeks. The star of the show is Rolling Stones, a solid reef break that needs a solid south swell and clean wind to fire. We’ve got a classic pattern coming up: a quiet start, then a massive pulse of energy, and then a long, drawn-out tail.
The first real surfable window opens up on Friday afternoon, August 28th, but let’s be honest, it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a 4ft south swell with a 13-second period. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. The day is cloudy with a gentle 9 mph north wind blowing offshore, keeping things clean. The combined energy is moderate at 557. It’s surfable, but it’s not the main event.
The real juice starts showing up on Monday, August 31st. The morning is a write-off with a big, messy 10ft SSW swell and a short 8-second period, plus a cross-onshore wind. That’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddling one. But then, on Monday afternoon, the magic happens. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the WSW, and the swell cleans up to a solid 8ft from the south with a 12-second period. The combined energy jumps to a very strong 1630. The forecast says it’s excellent for experienced surfers, and that’s the truth. This is the standout session of the first week.
Tuesday, September 1st, is a frustrating one. The swell is pumping hard—13ft from the south with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 6389. But the wind is howling from the SSW at 19 mph, cross-onshore and lumpy. It’s too big even for experts, and the wind is trashing it. A total miss.
Wednesday, September 2nd, is your next big chance. The morning kicks off with a clean 10ft south swell, period 12 seconds, and a perfect light offshore wind from the NNW at 3 mph. Combined energy is a strong 2326. This is another top-tier session for the experienced crew. The afternoon holds up nicely too, with a 8ft south swell, 12-second period, and a light 6 mph north cross-offshore breeze. The energy is still strong at 2229. Clean, powerful, and consistent.
Thursday, September 3rd, is still very good, but a step down in size. The morning offers a 6ft south swell with a 12-second period and a gentle 9 mph offshore wind from the NW. The energy is a solid 871. The afternoon drops to 5ft, still clean with a cross-offshore breeze. Good waves, but the size is fading.
From Friday, September 4th, through the weekend, the swell drops away. You’ll find small, ordinary waves in the 2ft to 3ft range. The wind is mostly offshore, but the energy is weak. The 5th and 6th of September are particularly poor, with combined energy dropping below 100. Not worth a wetsuit.
Monday, September 8th, we get a weird little spike of very long-period energy. The morning shows a 1ft SSW swell with a 20-second period and a combined energy of 151. The afternoon bumps up to 2ft from the south with a 20-second period and 221 energy. The wind is offshore, so it’s clean, but these are tiny, long-period lines that will be tricky to ride at a reef break. It’s a novelty.
Thursday, September 10th, the afternoon brings a surprise return to form. The wind goes glassy from the NW at 3 mph, and the swell is 4ft from the south with a 12-second period. The energy is a moderate 418. It’s a clean, fun little session after a long lull.
Then, on Friday, September 11th, the forecast lights up again. The morning shows a massive 13ft SSW swell with a 10-second period, and a moderate offshore wind from the north at 16 mph. The combined energy is a massive 2792. This is a huge, powerful swell, but the period is a bit short, so it’ll be a lot of raw, churning energy. With the offshore wind, it’s a real contender for the best of the second week, but it’s for experts only. The afternoon goes completely haywire with a 16ft south swell and a 22 mph cross-shore wind. That’s not surfing, that’s survival.
The window closes out after that. Saturday, September 12th, the swell drops to 5ft, but the wind is up again, making it poor. After that, the forecast goes quiet.
So, to sum it up: the standout sessions are Monday afternoon, August 31st, and Wednesday, September 2nd (both morning and afternoon). Long-range, the Friday morning, September 11th session is a massive, powerful swell for the experts, but it’s a bit of a wildcard. If you can handle the size, it could be memorable.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sat night, strong winds from the SSW by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 6°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Mon night, calm by Wed morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 14 | SSW 8 | S 11 | S 13 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
543 | 350 | 216 | 202 | 154 | 106 | 52 | 100 | 917 | 1276 | 1617 | 1928 | 6389 | 3200 | 2326 | 1709 | 1461 | 871 | 563 | 264 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:59AM1.73m | 10:30PM1.68m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:52AM0.23m | 4:20PM0.25m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 11 | S 13 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
543 | 350 | 216 | 202 | 154 | 106 | 65 | 49 | 32 | 1276 | 1617 | 20 | 10 | 3200 | 2326 | 1709 | 1461 | 871 | 563 | 264 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | S 15 | NE 6 | S 10 | S 14 | NE 9 | S 17 | ENE 9 | — | — | ENE 10 | NE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
8 | 7 | 27 | 17 | 38 | 16 | 52 | 100 | 51 | 354 | 16 | — | — | 9 | 13 | 520 | 334 | 10 | 11 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | — | SE 13 | S 16 | SE 12 | S 14 | SSW 4 | SSW 10 | — | NE 9 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | NE 9 | — | — | — | — |
6 | — | 27 | 20 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 32 | — | 20 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SW 3 | WSW 4 | WNW 3 | SSW 8 | — | WNW 4 | SSW 14 | S 14 | — | — | — | NE 9 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 |
52 | 42 | 42 | 28 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 917 | — | 14 | 1928 | 6389 | — | — | — | 22 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 103 | 113 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











