
Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, S swell with 3,555 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period with E 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rolling Stones in the next 16 days are 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Right, let’s talk about Rolling Stones. This is a reef break that’s for advanced surfers only, and it’s fairly consistent – so when it’s on, it’s worth the paddle.
Looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s a bit of a slow start, then a solid window mid-week, and then a whole lot of nothing in the second week. The first recommendation doesn’t kick in until Saturday morning, July 4th, so the start is a bit flat.
July 4th (Saturday morning): We’ve got clean, clear conditions with a light offshore NNW breeze at 6 mph. The swell is 5 ft from the east, with a 12-second period – that’s a nice, long groundswell for this setup. Combined wave energy is moderate at 608. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a full 3° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit. The break is fairly exposed to the swell, and the direction matches the optimum south swell? No – the optimum is south, and this is east, but the quality is still solid. It’s a decent option, but not the standout.
July 5th (Sunday): Wind picks up and the swell drops off. Sunday morning is cross-off with 15 mph and a weak 4 ft east swell – not worth it. Afternoon is a little better with lighter wind and 3 ft, but it’s ordinary.
July 6th (Monday): Tiny. Forget it.
July 7th (Tuesday) – The Standout: This is the true highlight of the entire period. Tuesday morning has a light NNE breeze at 3 mph, cross-off, and 6 ft of east swell with a 10-second period. Combined energy is strong at 766. Then Tuesday afternoon gets glassy – dead calm from the east at 3 mph – with the same 6 ft east swell. The waves are clean, the conditions are near-perfect for this reef. Crowds can show up sometimes, but with this quality, expect a few others in the water. This is the day to clear your schedule.
July 8th (Wednesday): A step down. The swell bumps up to 7 ft from the ESE with an 11-second period, and the energy is strong (1030). But the wind is cross-shore, not clean, and the conditions are marginal. Still surfable for the experienced.
July 9th – 14th: A downhill slide. From Thursday the 9th through to Tuesday the 14th, the wind goes onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell gets messy. There’s a big pulse of 13 ft south swell on the 11th and 12th, but with strong winds and a cross-onshore state (18–25 mph), this is more of a kite-surfing setup than paddle surfing. The energy is massive (over 3800), but it’s blown out and lumpy. By the 13th and 14th, it drops to 5–7 ft, but the wind is still cross-onshore.
July 15th (Wednesday morning): A brief glimmer. Light offshore north wind at 3 mph, 4 ft south swell with a very long 14-second period. Combined energy is moderate at 639. This is clean but a little inconsistent due to the long period – that groundswell might break straight on the reef, so points and reefs are your friend here. It’s a promising but less certain long-range option.
July 16th (Thursday morning): Another decent call. Light cross-off NNE breeze at 6 mph, 4 ft south swell with a very long 15-second period. Energy is moderate at 839. Clean surf, but again, that long period might make it a bit fat on the reef.
July 17th – 19th: The end of the line. Swell drops to 1.0–2 ft, wind picks up or goes glassy (no swell). Nothing to get excited about. There’s a long gap of no decent surf from the 18th onward.
So, the winner is Tuesday, July 7th – especially the glassy afternoon session. Early morning on July 7th is also solid. If you’re looking further out, the 15th and 16th mornings offer clean but smaller, longer-period waves.
Keep it between the flags, and don’t be late for that Tuesday glass-off.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed night, min 10°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the S by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | S 12 | E 10 | E 10 | S 16 | S 22 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
467 | 3 | 200 | 196 | 5 | 9 | 641 | 821 | 796 | 736 | 1146 | 1175 | 980 | 948 | 528 | 550 | 2395 | 3136 | 3131 | 3013 | 3467 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:00PM1.57m | 9:24AM1.48m | 9:44PM1.57m | 10:05AM1.50m | 10:30PM1.58m | 10:48AM1.53m | 11:16PM1.60m | 11:34AM1.57m | 00:04AM1.63m | 12:26PM1.63m | 00:54AM1.67m | 1:22PM1.70m | 1:49AM1.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:19AM0.32m | 3:27PM0.35m | 4:02AM0.31m | 4:14PM0.35m | 4:46AM0.31m | 5:01PM0.35m | 5:32AM0.31m | 5:49PM0.35m | 6:18AM0.31m | 6:42PM0.36m | 7:07AM0.30m | 7:39PM0.34m | 8:00AM0.29m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | |
4:57 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | 5:01 | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 11 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | S 12 | E 10 | E 10 | S 16 | S 14 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | — | ESE 10 | S 24 |
467 | 3 | 200 | 196 | 5 | 4 | 641 | 821 | 796 | 736 | 1146 | 1175 | 980 | 948 | 528 | 550 | 75 | 182 | — | 170 | 11 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 17 | S 15 | S 22 | S 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 17 | SSW 16 | NE 8 | — | — | — | — |
3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 109 | 97 | 50 | 45 | 67 | 60 | 25 | 49 | 84 | 18 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 16 | — | — | S 22 | S 13 | S 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 | S 13 | NNE 8 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 5 | — | — | 9 | 3 | 165 | 19 | 86 | 79 | 26 | 22 | 87 | 13 | 46 | 96 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | E 11 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | — | NE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
23 | 516 | 172 | 128 | 302 | 660 | — | 678 | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 181 | 243 | 2395 | 3136 | 3131 | 3013 | 3467 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 3 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 7 | 99 | 158 | 158 | 162 |
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.











