Rolling Stones Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.83° E

Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rolling Stones sea temperature is
12.6° C
1.5° 

Rolling Stones surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rolling Stones surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with 1,738 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Thu 23rd Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 11s
Best Surf12AM (Thu 30th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 12s
Most Powerful12AM (Sun 26th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like Rolling Stones is going to be quiet for a good stretch before things get seriously interesting. We’ve got a big gap of nothing special to wade through first, so patience is gonna be key.

The first bit of action we see is Thursday the 23rd of July, but honestly, it’s nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a modest 3ft south swell, with a 12-second period. The wind is a light cross-off, so it’s clean enough, but the combined energy is weak (213). The water is sitting at 55°, which is a fair bit colder than what’s normal for this time of year. This really only matters if you’re desperate for a paddle; it’s not the standout.

From Friday the 24th right through to the end of July, it’s pretty much a write-off. There are days where the wind is howling, like near gale-force on Saturday the 25th, and the swell gets messy. Even when there’s a bit of size, like a 7ft south swell on Sunday the 26th, the wind is onshore and choppy. The energy picks up (1311) but the quality is poor. You’ll be battling.

We then get a bit of a reprieve on the morning of Thursday the 30th of July. A 6ft ESE swell, with that 12-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the west. The combined energy is still moderate (937), and the conditions are described as clean. It’s a solid option if you’re keen, but it’s not the main event.

The real standout, and I mean the one you’ve been waiting for, is the start of August. Monday the 2nd of August is a beauty. We’ve got a 6ft east swell, 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the north-northeast. The combined energy is moderate (732), and the conditions are clean. This is a great, solid day of surfing at Rolling Stones with the swell direction (E) matching the optimum south direction nicely for this reef.

But hold onto your board, because the crown jewel is Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th of August. On Wednesday the 5th, the morning is clean with an 12ft south swell (9-second period) and offshore wind from the NNW. The energy is very strong (2568). This is for experienced surfers only. The afternoon sees it jump to 15ft.

Then Thursday the 6th of August morning is the pick of the entire forecast. It’s absolutely glassy, with a 15ft south swell, an 11-second period, and the combined energy is massive (5790). This is big, powerful, and clean. This is only for the experts, as anything over 8ft gets serious. The long period and south swell direction suit this reef perfectly. Just be aware that crowds are possible here, as it’s a known spot.

From Friday the 7th, the swell is still enormous – 16ft – but the wind turns onshore and rainy, so the quality drops off. This is more for the tow crew or the kamikazes.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a dud. The best on offer is the morning of Monday the 2nd of August for a solid, clean session. The absolute standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is the morning of Thursday the 6th of August for a massive, glassy, expert-only swell.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Thu morning, strong winds from the WSW by Sat afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue night, min 6°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds.

Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
S
12
0.5
S
12
0.4
SSW
10
0.4
S
10
0.4
S
9
0.5
E
11
0.8
E
12
0.8
E
11
3
SSW
10
2.2
S
10
2.2
S
9
2.4
S
9
2.5
S
9
2.5
S
10
2.5
SSE
12
1.8
SE
14
1.8
SE
14
1.9
SE
13
1.9
SE
13
1.9
SE
13
1.7
ESE
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
180
75
34
30
26
58
171
157
1738
904
741
837
1062
1160
1669
1231
1249
1308
1242
1077
864
Wind (km/h)
10
N
10
NE
10
NNW
15
NNW
20
NNW
20
N
25
WNW
55
WSW
30
SW
20
SW
30
SSW
30
SW
30
SW
30
SW
35
SW
25
SW
30
SSW
20
SW
15
SW
15
SSW
5
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
12:54PM1.62m
1:14AM1.58m
1:46PM1.61m
2:03AM1.55m
2:36PM1.59m
2:51AM1.51m
3:22PM1.58m
3:37AM1.48m
4:08PM1.56m
4:23AM1.45m
4:53PM1.55m
5:09AM1.43m
5:37PM1.55m
Low Tide
7:08PM0.42m
7:27AM0.42m
8:00PM0.47m
8:15AM0.47m
8:50PM0.50m
9:04AM0.48m
9:37PM0.50m
9:53AM0.48m
10:23PM0.49m
10:40AM0.45m
11:08PM0.46m
11:24AM0.41m
11:53PM0.41m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:18
7:18
7:18
7:16
7:16
7:15
7:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:09
5:10
5:12
5:13
5:14
5:15
5:15
 mm
2
1
3
1
1
Temp °C
12
14
11
14
15
14
12
9
9
8
9
9
9
10
10
10
10
11
10
11
9
Feels °C
9
11
7
9
11
9
5
-2
2
3
1
2
1
3
3
4
4
6
6
8
7
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Rolling Stones:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Rolling Stones surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest