
Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, S swell with 4,966 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (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 3AM. 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 4.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
We're looking at Rolling Stones, a solid advanced reef break, and it's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at 54.3°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a decent wetsuit.
The forecast kicks off with some size, but it's not really surfable. Tuesday the 28th has 8.2ft of SE swell, but it's a windy, choppy mess with cross-onshore winds. The combined energy is strong (2616), but the conditions are just ugly. You'd be better off waiting.
Things finally turn around on Wednesday the 29th. That morning sets up nicely with a clean 6.2ft SE swell, light offshore winds from the NNW, and a solid 13-second period. The water is glassy, and the energy is still pumping (1117). That's the window you want to be in the water. Thursday the 30th morning is also a good call with 4.6ft from the ESE, clean waves, and a gentle offshore breeze. The energy drops a bit (699), but it's still a fun size.
After that, the swell fades through the end of July and into the first few days of August. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st have small, clean waves, but they're dropping fast. By Sunday the 2nd, a big 13.1ft S swell rolls in, but it's accompanied by strong cross-onshore winds and rain. It's a beast (4298 energy), but it's unsurfable. That setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
We then have a long gap of poor conditions. The onshore winds and rain dominate through the first week of August. There's a small window on Wednesday the 5th with some clean 2.3ft waves, but it's tiny. The next real standout is shaping up for Friday the 7th of August. The afternoon shows a massive 18.0ft S swell with a very long 15-second period, but the file warns it's predicted to be too big for this break. The energy is extreme (14566). Unless you're a proper expert, stay well clear of the reef that day.
Saturday the 8th still has a big 11.5ft S swell, but it's choppy onshore. The rest of the second week is a write-off with strong onshore winds and rain. The best bet in the entire 16-day window is absolutely Wednesday the 29th morning. Get on it.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 15 | SE 13 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2046 | 1847 | 1326 | 1077 | 933 | 722 | 518 | 379 | 302 | 234 | 193 | 109 | 112 | 60 | 3423 | 4293 | 3127 | 2265 | 1406 | 865 | 500 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 8:57AM1.55m | 9:19PM1.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:02PM0.29m | ||||||||
7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 15 | SSW 8 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | S 22 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
2046 | 1847 | 1326 | 1077 | 933 | 722 | 518 | 379 | 302 | 234 | 193 | 109 | 112 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 865 | 500 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | NE 6 | SE 15 | ESE 10 | SE 13 | E 11 | ENE 16 | ENE 15 | ENE 14 | E 13 | S 20 | S 18 |
27 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 20 | 162 | 181 | 109 | 61 | 80 | 5 | 60 | 63 | 60 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 3 | 68 | 97 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 18 | — | NNE 4 | S 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NE 6 | S 11 | ESE 10 | ENE 16 | — | — | S 19 | ENE 13 | E 13 | SE 11 |
46 | 55 | — | 6 | 5 | 107 | — | 1 | 21 | 10 | 36 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 25 | — | — | 7 | 17 | 3 | 31 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | S 8 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 7 | WNW 3 | NW 4 | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 10 | — | — |
497 | 227 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 44 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 3423 | 4293 | 3127 | 2265 | 1406 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 93 | 78 | 99 | 167 | 41 | 78 | 93 | 1 |
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.










