Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, S swell with 8,282 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Rolling Stones.
First off, the water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at about 54°, which is a couple of degrees cooler than you’d expect. So grab an extra mil if you’re heading in.
The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of wind-ruined sessions and some proper thumping swells that’ll be messy. The standout by far is Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning has clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WNW, and a solid 6ft swell from the SE at 13 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, so it’ll have some punch and shape, especially on this reef setup. The wave energy is strong (1207), and it’s looking like a proper session. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but crowds can show up sometimes, so keep an eye out.
Thursday the 30th morning is also a beauty. Offshore winds from the NW, gentle breeze, 5ft swell from the ESE at 12 seconds, and clean conditions. The energy is still solid (747). This is your second-best window in the near term.
After that, things get wild. From Friday the 31st into the first week of August, the surf jumps up big time, but the wind swings cross-onshore or onshore, and it’s messy. The 1st of August afternoon sees a massive 18ft swell from the SSW, but with a fresh cross-onshore wind and lumpy conditions, it’s not one for paddling. The same goes for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th—big swells in the 13ft to 16ft range, but strong winds and rain. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during that stretch.
There’s a gap of a few days with poor surf after that, until the 8th of August. That Saturday afternoon brings a 12ft swell from the SSE at 13 seconds, with light cross-onshore wind and a huge energy reading (8368). The wind is light, so it might clean up, but it’s still cross-onshore. It’s a marginal call, but the size is there for experienced surfers.
The real long-range gem is Monday the 10th of August. A clean morning with a light cross-offshore breeze from the W, a 6ft swell from the S at a very long 17 seconds, and excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. The energy is strong (1961). That’s a promising one, but it’s two weeks out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
Overall, the best windows are Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th of July, with Monday the 10th of August as a promising long-range option.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed afternoon, min 6°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon morning, calm by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Sat afternoon). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | ESE 13 | S 8 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SW 5 | SSW 10 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 630 | 885 | 816 | 2046 | 1847 | 1417 | 1094 | 993 | 802 | 509 | 379 | 291 | 256 | 193 | 133 | 1773 | 4734 | 3904 | 2555 | 4776 | 8282 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:08PM1.56m | 4:23AM1.45m | 4:53PM1.55m | 5:09AM1.43m | 5:37PM1.55m | 5:56AM1.42m | 6:22PM1.55m | 6:43AM1.44m | 7:06PM1.57m | 7:30AM1.47m | 7:50PM1.58m | 8:14AM1.51m | 8:34PM1.61m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:53AM0.48m | 10:23PM0.49m | 10:40AM0.45m | 11:08PM0.46m | 11:24AM0.41m | 11:53PM0.41m | 12:05PM0.37m | 00:38AM0.36m | 12:47PM0.33m | 1:23AM0.32m | 1:30PM0.31m | 2:07AM0.29m | 2:15PM0.29m | 2:50AM0.27m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | |  | |
 | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — |
 | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Feels °C | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | -1 | 1 | -1 | -4 | -2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | E 17 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 15 | ENE 14 |
| kJ | 630 | 689 | 816 | 2046 | 1847 | 1417 | 1094 | 993 | 802 | 509 | 379 | 291 | 256 | 193 | 105 | 121 | 6 | 3064 | 1848 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 14 | NE 6 | NE 8 | SE 15 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 10 | S 15 | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | 35 | 64 | 27 | 37 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 162 | 181 | 109 | 36 | 42 | 20 | 60 | 35 | 20 | 2 | 110 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSE 10 | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 14 | — | — | S 16 | SSW 13 | SE 15 | SSE 11 | ENE 18 | ENE 17 | E 16 | E 16 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | 6 | 5 | 41 | — | — | 21 | 34 | 37 | 12 | 30 | 29 | 5 | 5 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | N 3 | N 3 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | WNW 3 | SW 5 | SSW 10 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 14 |
| kJ | 421 | 885 | 659 | 426 | 284 | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 82 | 5 | 133 | 1773 | 4734 | 3904 | 2555 | 4776 | 8282 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 41 | 95 | 82 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 33 | 0 | 93 | 91 | 158 | 312 | 283 |
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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