Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what we’ve got coming up. It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the Rolling Stones (reef), so let’s break it down.

The pattern starts with some solid, but messy, energy. We’ve got a long period S swell coming in at 6 ft early Monday morning, with a period of 10 seconds and combined energy of 663 (moderate). The cross-offshore wind from the WNW at 9 mph should keep it clean. That’s a decent start, but the wind swings around and the quality drops fast. By Monday afternoon, it’s marginal, and then Tuesday and Wednesday get absolutely hammered by strong onshore winds - we’re looking at 10 ft to 16 ft of S and SSW swell with energy readings over 4000 and 6000, but it’s all blown out and lumpy. That’s not for paddling; that’s a kite-surfing show if you’re into that.

The real standout, the one you wait for, is Friday the 7th of August. The morning session is looking glassy with a light NW wind at just 3 mph. The swell is a clean 3 ft from the S, but here’s the kicker – the period is 18 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, meaning loads of energy (1314) and those long, walling lines. At a reef, that’s going to be absolutely perfect. The sets will be far apart, but the wave quality will be top-notch. This is the pick of the window.

The following Saturday morning, the 8th, is also a good call with a clean 6 ft S swell (13 sec) and an offshore NW breeze at 9 mph. The energy is 1154 (moderate-strong). Sunday the 9th morning has a lovely 5 ft S swell with a 15-second period and a light NW wind – it’s clean and excellent for experienced surfers, with energy at 1488. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th get trickier with onshore winds and smaller, weaker swell.

After that, there’s a real gap. The 12th is a write-off with strong onshore winds and a short, messy swell. But then Thursday the 13th of August brings a return of good conditions. The morning shows a 8 ft S swell with an offshore NNW breeze at 6 mph, making for clean waves. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a shorter period wind swell, but with 732 combined energy, it’ll still be fun. The following Friday and Saturday mornings are clean and glassy, but the swell drops to 6 ft and 5 ft, and the direction swings more to the SSE/SE. It’s not the same quality as the 7th, but it’s still surfable.

The final week starts to fade. The 17th and 18th taper off into small, weak, and messy conditions. The energy drops to 288 and then 110, and the swell is tiny. We’re looking at a long gap of poor or marginal surf after the 13th, with only small windows of clean glass for the 14th and 16th.

So, the standout is without a doubt Friday the 7th of August. That glassy morning with the long period S groundswell for a reef like Rolling Stones is a magic moment. Set your alarm. The Saturday and Sunday after that are solid, clean options too. Just be aware the crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Rusty.

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