Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Morning crew, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the next couple of weeks at Rolling Stones. This is a reef setup, and while there’s a bit of a slow start, we’ve got some serious potential lining up—especially if you can wait it out. The water’s sitting at 55°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t be fooled by the sun—suit up properly.

The opening days are pretty average. Wednesday morning starts with a clean 3ft of SSE swell, but it’s pretty weak energy-wise (166) and the wind is cross-off from the west, so it’s surfable but nothing to write home about. The afternoon goes a bit cross-shore and drops to 3ft. Thursday is similar, with a bit more SE in the swell and a light offshore from the NW—clean but small. Honestly, these first couple of days are for getting your fins wet, not for scoring.

Then things start waking up on Friday the 18th. The swell pulses to 3ft, period jumps to 12 seconds, and energy more than doubles to 327. That’s a real groundswell building, and with light offshore NE winds in the morning, it’s looking clean and lined up. Saturday the 19th is where I’d pump the brakes if you’re a beginner though—the swell jumps to 6ft but the period drops to 7 seconds and it’s a messy cross-shore with 25 km/h winds. That’s junky and raw, not the good kind of raw. The afternoon gets worse, with a long-period S swell arriving but messy wind. Not your day.

Sunday the 20th is a write-off. The morning is lumpy and cross-shore, and the afternoon brings 10ft of SSW swell with fresh cross-onshore winds. That’s not surf—that’s a washing machine. Energy is at 1396, so there’s plenty of power, but it’s all over the place. If you’re a strong swimmer and know the reef, maybe, but honestly, I’d rather wait.

Then—hang on to your board—Monday the 21st is the standout. This is the big one. We’re looking at 15ft of SSW swell, period 12 seconds, and the energy is off the charts at 9252. That’s a serious, serious groundswell. And the wind? Glassy. Completely calm, which on a reef like this is as good as it gets. This is an expert-only day. The wave will be heavy, hollow, and moving fast. If you’re not confident in overhead-to-double-overhead reef surf, give it a wide berth. But for the chargers in the lineup, this is the day of the window.

The rest of that week settles down a lot. Tuesday the 22nd has a clean 4ft with cross-off winds, good but nothing crazy. Wednesday the 23rd gets a bit cross and bumpy with a short-period 5ft, so not great. Thursday the 24th is similar—marginal, with a shorter period and onshore tendencies. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either. You’re chasing it.

Friday the 25th is actually a nice little rebound. Morning glass, 3ft but with a long 16-second period and energy at 709—clean, lined up, and much more manageable. Saturday the 26th is similar, with 5ft and glassy conditions in the morning. That’s a fun, clean day for a step-down board and maybe some longboard if it’s got a bit of push. The afternoon gets a little cross-shore, but the morning is a gem.

Sunday the 27th keeps it clean with cross-off winds and 4ft, and Monday the 28th has a glassy 2ft with a 17-second period—tiny but super clean, and that long period means it’ll have real shape. That’s a good day for a fish or a longboard, not for a shortboard shred.

The last couple of days—September 29th and 30th—are pretty poor. The 29th is small, onshore, and weak (energy down at 124). The 30th has a bit more size (4ft) and a bit more energy (455), with clean conditions and a decent period. That Wednesday morning looks like a sleeper, actually. Clear, light offshore, and a nice S swell. It’s not the big Monday, but it’s clean and fun.

So, to sum up: the real standout is Monday the 21st—don’t miss that if you’re an expert. Friday the 25th through the 27th has some clean, manageable surf too, especially the glassy mornings. The rest is mostly average or junky. If you’re new to the sport, stay out of the water on the 19th–21st. But if you know what you’re doing, there’s some serious gold in here.

Keep an eye on the long-range energy—it’s got a lot of punch when it wants to.

Stay salty,

Rusty

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