Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's break down the next couple of weeks.

We've got a quiet start, but some real power is building for the end of August and into the first week of September. The first wave of energy is a bit messy, but the real standout is a few days out.

First up, we're looking at Rolling Stones (reef). Thursday the 27th kicks off with a solid 5ft to 6ft south swell, but the wind is a problem. Thursday morning it's a light cross-onshore, and by the afternoon it's a gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy. The water is a bit colder than normal at 54°, about 2° cooler than usual for this time of year. The combined energy is strong at 1417, but the conditions just aren't there for a clean ride.

Now, Friday the 28th is where it starts to look good. A clean, cross-offshore breeze from the NNE kicks in, and the swell is still a solid 5ft from the south with a period of 13 seconds. The energy is moderate at 915, but the wind is making it look clean. The afternoon gets even better with a true offshore wind from the north, dropping the swell to 4ft but the energy is still there at 551. This is a good window, but it's not the best of the run.

The standout is definitely Sunday the 31st of August through Tuesday the 2nd of September. We've got a serious pulse of south and SSW swell. Monday morning sees an 8ft SSW swell with an 8-second period and a clean cross-offshore wind from the west. The energy is a powerful 1169. That's a lot of water moving, but with that short period, it's going to be a bit walled up and lumpy. The real gem is Tuesday the 1st of September. The afternoon session shows a 10ft south swell with a 13-second period, and the energy is a massive 2652. The wind is a light cross-shore from the east, which is manageable. For a reef break, this long-period, groundswell is going to create some deep, powerful, and well-shaped waves. This is for experienced surfers only, as that size is serious. Get ready for it.

After that peak, the surf drops off quickly. By Wednesday the 2nd, we're down to 6ft, and by Thursday the 3rd it's 4ft and dropping. From Friday the 4th onwards, it's a long run of small, weak surf. There's a gap of about five days where the waves are just too small to bother with, from the 4th to the 8th of September.

The forecast picks up again on Wednesday the 9th of September, but it's a marginal 5ft south swell with a light cross-shore wind. It's surfable, but nothing special. The rest of the second week is small and inconsistent.

So, to sum it up: the window from Friday the 28th of August to Tuesday the 1st of September is your best bet. The clear winner is the Tuesday afternoon session at Rolling Stones with that 10ft, 13-second south swell. It's a heavy, expert-only wave, but it's the one to aim for.

Rusty.

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