Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, S swell with 7,923 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period with S 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 (Aug 20) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rolling Stones in the next 16 days are 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's break down the next couple of weeks. It starts off pretty rough around here, with a whole lot of wind and chop on the menu. But don't get too down, because there's a little window of clean conditions that's worth waiting for.
The first few days are a mess. The wind is all over the place from the south, creating messy, lumpy conditions at Rolling Stones. The swell is pumping, hitting some strong numbers with over 4000 units of energy on Monday morning, but it's all for nothing with that onshore wind. The surface is going to be a battle.
Everything changes on Friday, the 21st. That's the day. We finally get a light offshore breeze from the WNW, and the swell cleans right up. We're looking at around a 1.7m southwest swell with a good 12-second period. The energy is moderate, around 1030, but the quality is going to be top-notch. This is the one to plan for. The water temp is 12°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want the booties and a hood.
The next morning, Saturday the 22nd, is still looking decent with clean conditions and a slightly smaller 1.4m swell. The afternoon even goes glassy, which is a bonus. After that, it starts to fade pretty quickly, dropping off through Sunday and Monday.
Then, we hit a flat spell for a few days. It's looking pretty small, with just ankle-biters. But keep an eye on the long-range forecast. There’s a hint of a bigger southwest groundswell building for the weekend of the 30th, with a long 17-second period. That one is over a week out, so treat it with caution, but it could be something special.
For now, the standout is Friday morning. Don't miss it. This is Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 49mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Sat afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Tue night, calm by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 14 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 16 | S 15 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 741 | 631 | 307 | 2431 | 3448 | 3459 | 2646 | 1727 | 1373 | 3233 | 7923 | 7355 | 5469 | 5570 | 1672 | 845 | 716 | 778 | 1606 | 1550 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:41PM1.84m | 8:11AM1.75m | 8:31PM1.81m | 9:00AM1.76m | 9:21PM1.76m | 9:46AM1.75m | 10:10PM1.71m | 10:33AM1.72m | 10:59PM1.67m | 11:22AM1.67m | 11:48PM1.62m | 12:14PM1.62m | 00:35AM1.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:02AM0.11m | 2:17PM0.13m | 2:51AM0.16m | 3:09PM0.20m | 3:39AM0.22m | 4:01PM0.28m | 4:27AM0.30m | 4:51PM0.34m | 5:15AM0.36m | 5:41PM0.40m | 6:03AM0.41m | 6:30PM0.44m | ||||||||
 |  | |  | | | |  | | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — |
mm | 4 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -1 | -1 | -3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 11 | E 9 | SE 9 | — | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | SE 13 | — | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 16 | S 15 |
| kJ | 741 | 631 | 290 | 238 | 268 | 194 | 59 | 62 | 508 | — | 23 | 18 | 42 | — | 1331 | 845 | 716 | 778 | 1606 | 1550 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | SSW 18 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 15 | SSW 16 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 18 | S 16 | SE 10 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 25 | 104 | 147 | 44 | 9 | 380 | 162 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 5 | 96 | 246 | 17 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | — | SSW 17 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 11 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 10 | — |
| kJ | 7 | — | 307 | 70 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | 31 | 6 | 27 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | — | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 14 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 160 | — | 228 | 2431 | 3448 | 3459 | 2646 | 1727 | 1373 | 3233 | 7923 | 7355 | 5469 | 5570 | 1672 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 93 | 11 | 113 | 145 | 162 | 162 | 162 | 78 | 113 | 170 | 312 | 281 | 169 | 82 | 47 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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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