Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, S swell with 3,387 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period with ESE 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rolling Stones in the next 16 days are 3.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Rolling Stones, a reef break that’s got some serious potential in the next couple of weeks.
The first few days are a total bust. Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th are flat and clean, but there’s no energy at all. Thursday the 16th morning shows a tiny 0.7m bump from the ESE, but it’s weak. Thursday afternoon is the first real sign of life: 0.9m from the ESE with a long 17-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the NW at 12 mph. The combined energy hits 528 (moderate). It’s rideable, but not the highlight.
Friday the 17th gets bigger with 1.6m-1.7m from the SE, but the wind is side-shore and onshore, making it messy. Skip it. Saturday morning the 18th is the standout of the first week. Swell is 1.6m from the SE with a 14-second period, light offshore wind from the NNW at 3 mph, and a combined energy of 1409 (strong). The report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The reef will be clean and powerful. This is your call.
Sunday the 19th is a mess with 19 mph onshore winds and rain. Stay home. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are marginal, with waist-high, poorly shaped waves.
The middle of the week goes dead from Wednesday the 22nd through Saturday the 26th morning. Choppy, weak, and not worth a look. Then the big stuff arrives. Sunday the 26th afternoon sees a massive 4.0m from the ESE with a 12-second period and a combined energy of 4193 (very strong). The wind is a gentle side-shore, so it’s not perfect, but the size is enormous. Experts only. Monday the 27th afternoon is the best of the big swell: still 4.0m from the ESE, but with a light cross-offshore wind from the W at 6 mph. The combined energy is 3856, and the report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is a serious, heavy groundswell. Tuesday the 28th morning is still pumping with 3.0m from the SE and clean cross-offshore wind. Wednesday the 29th morning drops to 2.1m from the SE with clean offshore wind from the NNW. That’s a solid, more manageable option for advanced surfers.
The water is 55.9°F, which is about 1.6°F cooler than average for this time of year. Nothing crazy, just a bit crisp.
The two best windows are Saturday morning the 18th for a clean, powerful mid-sized swell, and the big-wave window from Monday the 27th afternoon through Tuesday the 28th morning for the experts. Wednesday the 29th morning is also a quality, slightly smaller option.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 12 | SSW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 15 | ESE 17 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 16 | S 12 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 22 | S 19 | S 11 | S 11 | S 18 | S 15 | S 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 73 | 45 | 20 | 48 | 47 | 96 | 196 | 504 | 952 | 1267 | 1366 | 1610 | 992 | 849 | 2631 | 828 | 972 | 769 | 891 | 881 | 1164 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | off | off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:14PM1.94m | 5:45AM1.79m | 6:14PM1.96m | 6:44AM1.79m | 7:11PM1.96m | 7:42AM1.78m | 8:06PM1.93m | 8:36AM1.77m | 8:58PM1.88m | 9:27AM1.75m | 9:50PM1.81m | 10:17AM1.72m | 10:42PM1.74m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:01AM0.15m | 11:37PM0.13m | 11:59AM0.08m | 00:36AM0.09m | 12:53PM0.04m | 1:34AM0.06m | 1:47PM0.03m | 2:28AM0.06m | 2:42PM0.06m | 3:21AM0.09m | 3:36PM0.13m | 4:12AM0.14m | 4:30PM0.21m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  |  | |  | |
 | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — |
 | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | NE 6 | NE 5 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 15 | ESE 17 | SE 16 | SE 16 | S 9 | S 12 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | S 17 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 15 |
| kJ | 46 | 20 | 8 | 48 | 47 | 96 | 196 | 504 | 952 | 1267 | 536 | 1610 | 992 | 849 | 666 | 488 | 724 | 769 | 585 | 545 | 1164 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | S 19 | S 17 | S 17 | SW 5 | SSW 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | S 10 | S 8 | SSW 22 | S 19 | SE 13 | SE 12 | S 18 | S 15 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 73 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 24 | 1366 | 1279 | 417 | 204 | 663 | 828 | 352 | 287 | 891 | 881 | 139 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | SSW 12 | ESE 8 | S 9 | S 16 | NE 4 | S 14 | NE 10 | S 16 | — | S 16 | — | — | S 15 | SSW 11 | — | SE 12 | S 16 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 4 | 45 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 20 | — | 401 | — | — | 17 | 51 | — | 353 | 406 | 240 | 202 | 133 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | NW 3 | WNW 3 | — | WNW 2 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | SSW 6 | S 9 | — | — | — | S 22 | S 8 | S 11 | — | WSW 3 | — | — |
| kJ | 15 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | 65 | 741 | — | — | — | 2631 | 442 | 972 | — | 2 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 99 | 162 | 65 | 4 | 1 | 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.
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