
Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 3 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 11s period, S swell with 6,873 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 3 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s 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 Friday (Jul 03) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. 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 5.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 18ft (5.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, let’s get into it.
Alright folks, Rusty here. We’re looking at a pretty solid run ahead for Rolling Stones, a reef break that handles a fair bit of swell. The water’s sitting at 55°F, which is a bit colder than we’d expect for this time of year – about 3°F off the norm, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.
The action kicks off Friday afternoon, 3 July. Waves are coming in at 5ft from the ESE with a nice long 12-second period, packing moderate energy (672). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the ENE, which is going to keep things clean. This is a proper standout: expect very good surf. A bit of a heads-up on crowds here at Rolling Stones – they pop up sometimes, so keep an eye out.
Saturday morning, 4 July, cleans right up with a 6 mph offshore wind from the north. Same 5ft ESE swell, but it’s a little lighter on energy (545). Still, it’s a good session.
We hit a bit of a lull Sunday into Monday with smaller, crummier waves and some rain around, but nothing worth paddling out for.
Then Tuesday morning, 7 July, we’re back on. A 5ft easterly swell, but with 3 mph glassy conditions from the NNE – it’s going to be smooth as glass. Energy’s solid again at 720. Very good surf.
Wednesday, 8 July, is another absolute gem. Morning brings 6ft of ESE groundswell, a 10-second period, and dead calm wind – glassy perfection. Energy’s up a notch (789). This is a top pick for the first week.
The weekend of 11-12 July gets ugly. A big southerly swell rolls in, hitting 18ft on the 10th, but the wind swings onshore and howling. It’s a messy, lumpy mess. Not for paddling – this kind of setup gets more interesting for the kite crew.
Things settle down for another standout window. Monday morning, 13 July, the wind goes glassy again from the NW, with a 7ft SSE swell – solid and clean (587 energy). Good conditions.
But the real second-week highlight? Wednesday, 15 July, afternoon. We’ve got 6ft of SE groundswell with a 12-second period, and it’s glassy calm. Energy is high at 1446. This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The long period means the waves will have real punch, perfect for a reef like Rolling Stones.
Thursday morning, 16 July, keeps the quality with 7ft SE swell and a clean cross-offshore wind. Still very good for the crew who know what they’re doing.
Friday, 17 July, the swell pushes up to 12ft from the ESE – that’s expert territory only. The wind lays down glassy by the afternoon. This is big, powerful, and looks incredible if you’ve got the skills.
The run winds down Saturday, 18 July, with clean 6ft SE swell and a light offshore breeze. A solid way to finish.
So, the standout sessions are Friday 3rd afternoon, Wednesday 8th morning, and Wednesday 15th afternoon. Get out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | E 11 | S 12 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | S 22 | S 20 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 9 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
628 | 672 | 541 | 475 | 3 | 235 | 167 | 234 | 9 | 31 | 392 | 347 | 361 | 480 | 529 | 502 | 446 | 356 | 301 | 2883 | 6873 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:17PM1.58m | 8:43AM1.46m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:37AM0.35m | 2:42PM0.37m | 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 | ||||||||
— | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | |
4:57 | — | — | 4:57 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | 5:00 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 2 |
Temp °C | 11 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | E 11 | S 12 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | S 14 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
628 | 672 | 541 | 475 | 3 | 235 | 167 | 234 | 4 | 681 | 392 | 347 | 361 | 480 | 529 | 502 | 446 | 356 | 301 | 246 | 163 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 8 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | NE 7 | S 16 | S 22 | S 20 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | — | — |
24 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 65 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 60 | 276 | 250 | 208 | 147 | 99 | 96 | 58 | 99 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 15 | N 11 | — | — | S 16 | S 17 | — | — | S 13 | S 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 16 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | — |
20 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 102 | 97 | 87 | 122 | 103 | 61 | 50 | 14 | 8 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 4 | E 11 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 6 | ENE 7 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 3 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 9 | S 11 |
— | — | — | 19 | 516 | 113 | 113 | 63 | 379 | 21 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 19 | 4 | 253 | 268 | 2883 | 6873 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 41 | 88 | 113 | 158 | 162 |
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.











