
Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with 5,608 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period with SE 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 15s. 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 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Rolling Stones. It’s a classic reef break, advanced only, and it’s going to take a bit of patience to get the good stuff.
Right now, we’re looking at a bit of a slow start. The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Wednesday and Thursday are a mess – strong winds, rain, and big, ugly swell. Thursday morning we’re seeing a 13ft southerly swell, but it’s onshore and howling at 19 mph, so it’s a total no-go. Friday is the same story with strong cross-onshore winds. Don’t even bother until we get past this rough patch.
Things start to turn around on Sunday the 12th. The morning is looking magic – glassy conditions with a clean 5ft swell from the southeast. The combined energy is moderate (722), and it’s that rare moment where everything lines up. It’s a small window, but for a Sunday dawn patrol, you could get some really clean ones. Monday the 13th keeps it clean with offshore winds and a smaller 3ft swell, but it’s not going to be firing.
The real standout, the one I’m getting excited about, is Thursday the 16th. We’ve got a solid 7ft groundswell from the southeast with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is strong (2118). The morning is glassy, and this is that proper reef-building swell. It’s going to be big, powerful, and lined up – only for experts, mind you. This is the best on offer in the whole window. Just be aware it’s a long period swell, so it’ll be bowling on the reef, but the gaps between sets will be longer.
After that, Friday the 17th is still very good with glassy conditions and a 6ft swell, but it’s a step down from Thursday. The following week gets messy again. We see a big swell building from the 19th, up to 13ft, but the wind switches to a strong cross-offshore, which can keep it clean but it’s going to be huge and powerful. That’s big-wave territory only. The water temp is 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so grab the thicker wetsuit.
So, to boil it down: for the next 16 days, your best bet is Thursday the 16th. Sunday the 12th is a good warm-up. Don’t waste your time on the first week of wind and rain. This is a spot that demands respect, and when it’s on, it’s on.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 47mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Wed night, near gales from the S by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | S 14 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
778 | 692 | 573 | 2403 | 5183 | 5299 | 3915 | 2668 | 1495 | 1070 | 862 | 626 | 415 | 321 | 247 | 155 | 105 | 72 | 81 | 81 | 86 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:34AM1.57m | 00:04AM1.63m | 12:26PM1.63m | 00:54AM1.67m | 1:22PM1.70m | 1:49AM1.70m | 2:19PM1.77m | 2:46AM1.73m | 3:16PM1.84m | 3:46AM1.75m | 4:14PM1.90m | 4:46AM1.78m | 5:14PM1.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:49PM0.35m | 6:18AM0.31m | 6:42PM0.36m | 7:07AM0.30m | 7:39PM0.34m | 8:00AM0.29m | 8:39PM0.30m | 8:58AM0.26m | 9:39PM0.25m | 10:00AM0.22m | 10:38PM0.19m | 11:01AM0.15m | 11:37PM0.13m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | ESE 10 | S 16 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
778 | 692 | 573 | 433 | 449 | 73 | 104 | 1478 | 46 | 1070 | 862 | 626 | 415 | 321 | 247 | 155 | 105 | 72 | 81 | 81 | 86 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | NE 7 | SSW 17 | — | SSW 18 | S 17 | S 15 | SSW 10 | S 19 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | S 9 | ENE 6 |
37 | 33 | 43 | 8 | 116 | — | 176 | 147 | 121 | 37 | 254 | 427 | 272 | 302 | 202 | 116 | 74 | 31 | 50 | 6 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 13 | NE 7 | — | — | — | NE 9 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 7 | S 7 | E 12 | NE 12 | SSW 15 | S 13 | E 15 | S 12 | S 9 |
104 | 92 | 53 | 14 | — | — | — | 22 | 137 | 42 | 34 | 31 | 35 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | N 2 | NE 3 | NE 5 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NNW 3 |
9 | 84 | 121 | 2403 | 5183 | 5299 | 3915 | 2668 | 1495 | 186 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 17 | 14 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 88 | 158 | 162 | 258 | 162 | 82 | 7 | 90 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










