Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,927 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with SSW 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period. 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's look at what's brewing for Rolling Stones.
The opening days are a write-off. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st of August are a total loss – tiny, weak swell with pretty average wind. You can leave your board in the car for that. The wait is on for something proper.
Things start to get interesting from Tuesday the 1st of September. A solid push of south groundswell shows up, hitting 10 feet, but the wind is a messy cross-shore that morning. The afternoon glass-off looks far better, with that 10-foot swell cleaning right up as the breeze dies. The energy is hefty, hitting (2521), and with a period of 12 seconds, it’s got some real grunt. This is a sweet spot for the more experienced surfer – that's a proper wave, not for beginners. The stand-out, however, fires on Wednesday the 2nd. Morning sees 8 feet of south swell with 13-second intervals under a clean cross-off from the NW. The combined energy is a massive (2777). By afternoon, it’s the clear winner: 8 feet of swell, a 17-second period giving it that long, cranking power, and the wind goes *glassy* from the NNW. This is as good as it gets at Rolling Stones. That afternoon session is world-class for anyone who can handle it.
After that peak, Thursday the 3rd drops back to a more manageable 5 feet, still clean, but not the standout. The rest of the first week and into the second fades away. A few mornings on the 6th and 8th of September offer some clean 4-foot waves with offshore winds, fine for a cruise but nothing to write home about. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so definitely suit up warm.
Into the second week, there’s a brief flash of size again on Monday the 7th of September, with 13 feet of swell, but it’s messy and the wind is howling onshore that afternoon. Choppy and blown out. After that, it gets small again. Most of the week from the 9th onwards looks either flat or junky with onshore slop. The 12th of September has a bit of size at 7 feet but short period and poor winds.
The final hope comes Sunday the 13th of September. Morning delivers 4 feet of clean south swell with a light offshore from the NNW. It’s not the beast of the 2nd, but a clean, fun wave that's actually worth paddling out for. So in short, the best bet is Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon. Hands down. After that, Sunday the 13th morning is your only other solid option in the second week.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon night, calm by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSW 13 | S 17 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 6 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 34 | 58 | 470 | 1527 | 2366 | 2914 | 2521 | 3297 | 2042 | 3882 | 1999 | 760 | 459 | 220 | 112 | 73 | 76 | 99 | 206 | 403 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 7:20PM1.62m | 7:44AM1.59m | 8:05PM1.66m | 8:29AM1.65m | 8:52PM1.69m | 9:13AM1.70m | 9:40PM1.69m | 9:59AM1.73m | 10:30PM1.68m | 10:50AM1.74m | 11:22PM1.67m | 11:46AM1.74m | 00:17AM1.65m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:35AM0.24m | 1:48PM0.24m | 2:20AM0.23m | 2:37PM0.24m | 3:05AM0.23m | 3:28PM0.25m | 3:52AM0.23m | 4:20PM0.25m | 4:42AM0.24m | 5:13PM0.25m | 5:34AM0.23m | 6:09PM0.23m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 14 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 5 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 11 |
| kJ | 20 | 47 | 127 | 1527 | 15 | 21 | 2521 | 3297 | 2042 | 3882 | 1999 | 760 | 459 | 220 | 112 | 73 | 37 | 99 | 206 | 403 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SW 5 | S 17 | ENE 8 | NE 11 | — | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 18 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 10 | NE 5 | SSW 10 | S 15 | S 16 | E 10 |
| kJ | 34 | 11 | 470 | 28 | 5 | — | 19 | 9 | 735 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 31 | 18 | 19 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | — | NE 9 | — | — | — | NE 11 | SW 5 | — | E 10 | S 16 | E 10 | ENE 10 | — |
| kJ | 31 | 58 | 53 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 19 | 8 | 10 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | SW 5 | NW 3 | WSW 4 | SSW 13 | S 13 | — | — | NE 9 | — | NW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | WNW 4 | SW 6 | NW 3 | — | NE 3 |
| kJ | 2 | 28 | 2 | 10 | 2366 | 2914 | — | — | 21 | — | 13 | 14 | 35 | 10 | 19 | 20 | 76 | 5 | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 82 | 88 | 78 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 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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