Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Rolling Stones is the only game in town for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of clean, punchy groundswell coming in mid-week, then things go south with a big wind shift, before a small, clean finish. The water is 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – so expect that extra chill.

We start off slow on Wednesday 15 July. Tiny 1ft of southeast swell, period 11 seconds, combined energy a weak 68. Glassy conditions, but the surf is just too small to get excited about. Thursday 16 July picks up a little. The morning has 2ft of 15-second ESE groundswell (224 energy), but it’s cross-off and the conditions are ordinary. The afternoon is better: the swell bumps to 3ft with a 17-second period, pumping energy up to 622. The wind shifts to a light westerly, still cross-off, and the forecast says good surf. It’s surfable, but not the standout.

Friday 17 July is the real highlight. The morning brings a clean 5ft of SE swell at 16 seconds, with a strong 1392 energy reading. The wind is offshore from the NNW at 3 mph, glassy. This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 6ft, and the energy jumps to 2024, but the wind goes cross-on and the forecast flags marginal tide issues. Still, the morning session is the one to chase.

Saturday 18 July keeps it going. The morning has 5ft of SE swell, 14-second period, with 1325 energy and clean offshore NW wind. The afternoon has 4ft, glassy conditions, and the energy is 1516. Both sessions are rated as excellent for the crew who can handle it. This is a very strong stretch of quality surf.

Then the wheels fall off. Sunday 19 July sees a big southerly swell move in – 7ft in the morning, 18-second period, and a massive 3121 energy, but the wind is a cross-on south at 12 mph, with rain showers. The forecast says poor surf. The afternoon is slightly better at 6ft, but still cross-on and choppy. Monday 20 July is similar: 7ft to 7ft of S swell, cross-on winds, marginal conditions. The energy is huge (over 2000), but the quality is not there for a good paddle. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Tuesday 21 July offers a brief reprieve. The morning has 7ft of S swell at 16 seconds, 2261 energy, and a clean cross-off westerly wind. That’s solid, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops to 6ft but the wind goes onshore, making it marginal.

From Wednesday 22 July onward, the swell steadily fades. The morning has 4ft of S swell, 12-second period, with 710 energy and clean offshore NW wind – good for a fun session. The afternoon is smaller at 4ft, glassy. Thursday 23 July is 3ft, clean in the morning, dropping to 3ft by the afternoon. The rest of the week through to 25 July is small, in the 2ft to 3ft range, with clean conditions but very ordinary surf. The energy is low, under 500.

There’s a bit of a gap until Monday 27 July, when a new pulse of long-period S swell arrives. The morning has 3ft at 15 seconds, 587 energy, and offshore NNW wind. The afternoon is better: 4ft, 17-second period, 750 energy, and a gentle offshore from the NNW. That’s a clean, promising session for the end of the month. After that, it drops back to tiny, messy surf through to 30 July, where a 10ft southerly swell shows up but with strong cross-on winds and poor conditions – not worth paddling out.

Overall, the standout is Friday 17 July morning at Rolling Stones – 5ft, 16-second SE groundswell, glassy offshore wind, and a big energy reading. Saturday 18 July is also a gem. The rest of the week after Sunday is a write-off for quality, but keep an eye on Monday 27 July afternoon for a late clean-up.

Rusty

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