Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, S swell with 4,774 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surf’s finally showing a pulse after a pretty bleak stretch. The long-range models are painting a picture that’s got me a bit fired up, but we gotta pay our dues first with some average, messy conditions.
The week starts off rough. Wednesday and Thursday are a complete write-off with a strong south-southwest swell hammering the coast. We’re talking 15ft of lumpy, cross-onshore chaos on Wednesday morning with a massive 5169 combined energy reading. This is not surf for the faint of heart, and honestly, unless you’re a masochist, it’s a beach day. The wind is howling at 22 mph out of the south, just shredding any chance of a clean face. Thursday isn’t much better, with the swell still up around 8ft and a choppy cross-on wind. It’s a full-on washing machine out there.
Then, things start to turn. Friday morning is the first real glimmer of hope. The wind swings around to a light offshore from the NNW at just 3 mph, and that southwest swell drops to a very manageable 5ft. The period jumps to 13 seconds, giving it some proper push. The water's running a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 54°, a good 3° chillier than average, so you'll want the booties and maybe a hood. This is the window where Rolling Stones (Reef) comes alive. It’s a standout, a moment of pure glass in the middle of the gloom. The swell direction is straight from the south, which is right in its wheelhouse. For a reef break, this is where it shines. The light offshore wind will have it looking like a mirror. Sure, it might be a bit inconsistent, but when a set comes through, it’ll be worth the paddle out. This is the call of the week.
Friday afternoon and into the weekend are still fun. The swell hangs around the 5 – 3ft mark with clean conditions and light winds. Saturday looks like a good, fun, small-wave day. Sunday starts to fade, with the swell dropping below 3ft and the energy weakening.
There’s a notable lull for a couple of days from Sunday through to mid-week, where the surf almost completely flatlines. It’s a real patience tester. But then, the horizon has something big. Way out in the long-range, around Friday the 28th, a new, longer-period south swell is forecast to fill in. It’s showing 6ft at 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is looking offshore from the north, which would make the reef a very special place to be. This is the one that has me truly excited, but it’s a week and a half away, so we treat it as promising, not a guarantee.
After that, the ocean gets kind of messy again. The start of September brings another solid pulse of south swell, but with it comes strong cross-on/onshore winds and rain, which will chop it all up. There’s some size there, pushing 12ft, but the quality will be terrible. It might look more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers.
So, there you have it. A slow start, a magic window Friday morning, and a potentially epic long-range groundswell on the 28th that’s well worth keeping an eye on.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed morning, calm by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun morning, calm by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 12 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 8 | S 8 | S 13 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5122 | 3274 | 2578 | 2085 | 489 | 381 | 737 | 1226 | 563 | 400 | 259 | 185 | 72 | 48 | 42 | 44 | 337 | 405 | 186 | 477 | 435 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:33AM1.72m | 10:59PM1.67m | 11:22AM1.67m | 11:48PM1.62m | 12:14PM1.62m | 00:35AM1.57m | 1:06PM1.58m | 1:22AM1.51m | 1:56PM1.54m | 2:10AM1.45m | 2:43PM1.52m | 2:58AM1.40m | 3:28PM1.49m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:51PM0.34m | 5:15AM0.36m | 5:41PM0.40m | 6:03AM0.41m | 6:30PM0.44m | 6:49AM0.45m | 7:20PM0.47m | 7:35AM0.46m | 8:10PM0.48m | 8:23AM0.46m | 8:57PM0.47m | 9:11AM0.44m | 9:43PM0.43m | ||||||||
6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | SE 9 | S 14 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 8 | S 13 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SE 13 | SSW 16 | S 14 | SSW 12 | S 15 | S 15 |
47 | 619 | 2578 | 238 | 142 | 381 | 737 | 1226 | 563 | 400 | 259 | 185 | 72 | 48 | 27 | 44 | 337 | 405 | 147 | 477 | 435 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 16 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | S 13 | SE 9 | S 16 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | S 9 | SE 13 | SE 13 | S 16 | SE 13 | SE 14 |
— | 1211 | 497 | 18 | 161 | 115 | 333 | 120 | 71 | 20 | 11 | 33 | 34 | 42 | 42 | 14 | 45 | 45 | 186 | 42 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 11 | S 18 | S 17 | SE 10 | — | S 16 | E 15 | ESE 14 | SE 8 | — | NNE 4 | SSW 5 | S 17 | E 11 | NE 3 | SE 13 | E 11 | NNE 3 |
— | — | — | 32 | 25 | 204 | 117 | — | 82 | 4 | 19 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 44 | 2 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 12 | — | SSW 13 | S 8 | — | — | — | NE 3 | N 3 | — | NNW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | — | NE 3 | — | — | — |
5122 | 3274 | — | 2085 | 489 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | 3 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 93 | 162 | 7 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.











