Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 4,719 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with SE 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 (Jul 12) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 15s. 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Rolling Stones (Reef) has cooking for us. We’ve got a run of swell on the cards, but it’s going to take a bit of patience to get to the good stuff.
The first week is largely a write-off for any decent surf. The water’s sitting at 55.6° which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent suit. We kick off with some small, messy E swell on the 7th and 8th, around 5.9 ft, but it’s all crossed up with onshore wind – not worth getting wet for. Then from the 9th through to the 11th, the place gets hammered. A strong S/SSE swell pumps through, hitting 13.1 ft to 14.8 ft, but it’s accompanied by strong onshore winds and rain. That’s a no-go. The wave energy is massive (5871) but it's a total mess – more for kite surfers than paddle surfers.
We finally get a window on Sunday the 12th. The swell drops to 5.2 ft from the SE in the morning with light cross-offshore wind, building to 3.0 ft of super clean, glassy S swell in the afternoon. The period jumps to 14 seconds, so it’s proper groundswell with good shape. This is a nice little window, but it’s small.
Now, the real standout. The one you’ve been waiting for. Wednesday the 15th. The morning has 4.9 ft ESE groundswell (16-second period) with a clean, offshore NNW breeze. The energy is solid (1251). But it’s the afternoon that lights up: 6.6 ft of ESE swell, still 16 seconds, and offshore NW wind. Clean, powerful, and lined up. That’s expert territory at 6.6 ft on a reef, but it’s the best day of the whole run. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get on it early.
The following Monday, July 20th, is another cracker. Morning brings 8.2 ft SSW swell, offshore NNW breeze at 3 mph, and clean conditions. That’s big and powerful (2201 energy) – expert-only. The afternoon drops to a still excellent 7.2 ft with clean cross-offshore wind. Two solid sessions that day if you’ve got the skills.
Further out, on July 22nd, we see more clean, offshore NNW wind and 4.6 ft of long-period SE swell (14 seconds). It’s a fun, clean option but nothing compared to the 15th or 20th.
Overall, it’s a slow start, but Wednesday the 15th and Monday the 20th are the standouts. Get ready for those.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 44mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, strong winds from the SSW by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 10 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 14 | S 13 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 602 | 855 | 717 | 663 | 551 | 3245 | 3594 | 3546 | 4159 | 3104 | 1726 | 1126 | 928 | 602 | 402 | 329 | 272 | 207 | 147 | 210 | 190 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:16PM1.60m | 11:34AM1.57m | 00:04AM1.63m | 12:26PM1.63m | 00:54AM1.67m | 1:22PM1.70m | 1:49AM1.70m | 2:19PM1.77m | 2:46AM1.73m | 3:16PM1.84m | 3:46AM1.75m | 4:14PM1.90m | 4:46AM1.78m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:01PM0.35m | 5:32AM0.31m | 5:49PM0.35m | 6:18AM0.31m | 6:42PM0.36m | 7:07AM0.30m | 7:39PM0.34m | 8:00AM0.29m | 8:39PM0.30m | 8:58AM0.26m | 9:39PM0.25m | 10:00AM0.22m | 10:38PM0.19m | 11:01AM0.15m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  |  | | |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 |
 | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | 5:04 |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 17 | ESE 10 | S 16 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 602 | 855 | 717 | 663 | 551 | 2626 | 356 | 245 | 153 | 2159 | 79 | 1126 | 928 | 602 | 402 | 328 | 237 | 207 | 147 | 210 | 190 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | NE 9 | E 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | S 12 | S 10 | S 19 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 |
| kJ | 78 | 74 | 52 | 45 | 173 | 22 | 449 | 122 | 176 | 104 | 73 | 56 | 251 | 339 | 352 | 329 | 272 | 171 | 82 | 49 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | E 12 | ESE 11 | S 16 | S 13 |
| kJ | 86 | 81 | 104 | 60 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | 119 | 47 | 35 | 33 | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | 5 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 4 | NNE 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 3245 | 3594 | 3546 | 4159 | 3104 | 1726 | 147 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 11 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 99 | 158 | 167 | 158 | 158 | 82 | 78 | 90 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
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.
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