Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the only spot that’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks – Rolling Stones. It’s a seasoned reef-break for the advanced crew, and it’s got a bit of a mixed bag coming our way.

The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. The week kicks off with a solid pulse of swell. Monday afternoon (20th July) is a write-off – we’ve got a 8ft south swell running, but the cross-onshore wind is ruining it, making for a choppy, messy surface. The combined energy is strong (4093), but it’s not clean.

Everything changes on Tuesday morning (21st July). The swell holds at 8ft from the south, and the wind swings light westerly, going cross-offshore. The water will be clean. That’s a big tick. The period is a very long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. This thing will have heaps of energy and long lulls between sets. Tuesday afternoon gets even better – the wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the southeast, the swell drops a touch to 7ft, but it’s still a long 15-second period. This will be clean, lined-up, and powerful. It’s a standout window for the experienced surfer.

Wednesday (22nd July) stays clean with light winds, but the swell drops to 4ft in the morning and 4ft in the afternoon. The combined energy is moderate (529 and 371). It’s still surfable and nice, but not the same punch as Tuesday. Thursday (23rd July) sees the swell drop further to 3ft and 2ft, with clean but weak conditions. It’s a fade-out.

Then we hit a gap. From Friday (24th July) through to the end of the month, the surf is poor or marginal. On Friday the 24th, the swell is tiny (1ft and 1.0ft). Saturday the 25th brings a messy 8ft and 7ft swell from the southwest, but the wind is howling at 15-25 mph, creating a cross-chop. Sunday the 26th is a bit cleaner but still rough. The energy is moderate to strong, but the quality is gone.

The next standout is Monday afternoon (27th July). A new swell from the ESE arrives at 7ft with a 13-second period. The wind is light WNW, cross-offshore, and the combined energy is strong (1841). The forecast says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is a strong call for the end of the first week. Tuesday (28th July) is still decent but drops off a little.

The second week is more of a mixed bag. Wednesday and Thursday (29th and 30th July) have clean, cross-offshore winds and 4ft to 4ft ESE swell. It’s consistent and clean, but not huge. Friday (31st July) is similar, with moderate winds keeping it clean. The best look in the second week is actually Tuesday morning, 4th August – a morning with 5ft south swell, a long 15-second period, and a gentle offshore wind from the north. The combined energy is strong (1141), and the forecast is for very good conditions. That’s the one to circle on the calendar, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

The last few days of the forecast (2nd and 3rd August) are a mess – a massive 16ft south-west swell with strong onshore winds and rain. That’s for the really brave or the kite surfers, not for a clean paddle session.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are Tuesday morning and afternoon (21st July) and Monday afternoon (27th July). The second week is quieter, with the 4th of August looking promising but uncertain. The rest is a bit of a wait-and-see game.

Rusty.

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