Rolling Stones Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.83° E

Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rolling Stones sea temperature is
12.0° C
1.8° 

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 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 12s period, S swell with 10,235 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s 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 (Aug 20) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 17s. 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 6.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Thu 20th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 9s
Best Surf 3PM (Fri 21st Aug)6ft (1.9m) 16s
Most Powerful12AM (Wed 19th Aug)20ft (6.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the charts are telling us for the coming weeks at Rolling Stones. It's a bit of a mixed bag with a whole lot of frustration at the start, but there's a sweet little window for the crew that can wait.

Right off the bat, things are ugly. We’ve got a lot of wind and lumpy, messy conditions. The water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 54°. For the first several days, from Sunday the 16th right through to the end of the week on Thursday the 20th, it’s all poor surf with strong onshore or cross-shore winds blowing out any chance of a clean wave. The combined swell energy is high, getting up into the thousands (957 to 6939), but that doesn't matter when the wind is trashing it. Thursday the 20th is a write-off with a strong cross-onshore and messy.

We finally get some relief on Friday the 21st of August. The wind backs right off and swings offshore, cleaning things up nicely. The morning is clean with a 5ft SSW swell, but the afternoon is the real standout of the whole run. We get a 6ft southerly groundswell with a very long 16-second period, combined with a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (1842) but the quality will be excellent for experienced surfers. That long period will make for some proper, powerful lines, so you'll want a decent paddle on you. This is the one to aim for.

Saturday the 22nd stays clean with offshore winds. The swell drops a little, around 3ft to 4ft from the south with a solid 12-second period. It’s smaller but still clean and fun. The combined energy is a bit lower (291 to 454), but for a morning session on a longboard or a fish, it’ll be a treat. Just keep in mind that Rolling Stones can draw a crew sometimes.

Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th see the swell fade right out to under 3ft. It’s clean, but there’s just not enough juice to get excited about. We then get a nasty blow from the south on Tuesday the 25th that messes the ocean up again with strong winds and lumpy surf.

Then, a promising sign for the end of the run. On Wednesday morning, 26th of August, we get a late pick-up. A clean 7ft south swell arrives with light winds. The energy is moderate (881) and it’ll be a solid size. That afternoon the wind picks up and makes for a bumpier ride, but that Wednesday morning window looks like a very good option for another surf.

From the 27th onwards, it's a mix of small, clean conditions and more windy, messy days. Thursday the 27th has a clean 4ft morning, but the wind builds. Friday the 28th has a really interesting, clean 4ft swell from the south with a very long 15-16 second period in the afternoon, but it's pretty small. It's a long-shot window.

So, bottom line: it’s a rough start and a long wait, but if you’re patient, Friday the 21st is your absolute best bet for quality waves, with Saturday the 22nd and Wednesday the 26th being solid backup days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Sun morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sun morning, near gales from the SW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Wed morning, calm by Thu afternoon).

Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
2
3
4
2
2
2
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
ESE
8
3
SSW
8
4.5
S
10
4
S
10
3.5
S
10
3
S
9
3
S
9
4
S
10
6
S
12
5
S
12
4.5
S
12
3.5
S
14
2.5
S
13
2
S
9
1.7
S
9
1.6
S
12
1.9
S
16
1.6
S
14
1.2
S
12
1
S
12
0.9
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
341
980
3489
2787
2134
1404
1359
3258
10235
6893
5488
4700
2576
627
435
702
1812
1002
437
276
195
Wind (km/h)
30
WSW
40
SSW
40
S
40
S
35
SSW
35
SW
40
SW
45
SW
55
SSW
40
SSW
35
SSW
30
SW
20
SW
10
S
10
NNW
5
WNW
5
NNE
20
NW
15
NW
10
NNW
20
NW
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
8:31PM1.81m
9:00AM1.76m
9:21PM1.76m
9:46AM1.75m
10:10PM1.71m
10:33AM1.72m
10:59PM1.67m
11:22AM1.67m
11:48PM1.62m
12:14PM1.62m
00:35AM1.57m
1:06PM1.58m
1:22AM1.51m
Low Tide
2:17PM0.13m
2:51AM0.16m
3:09PM0.20m
3:39AM0.22m
4:01PM0.28m
4:27AM0.30m
4:51PM0.34m
5:15AM0.36m
5:41PM0.40m
6:03AM0.41m
6:30PM0.44m
6:49AM0.45m
7:20PM0.47m
light rain
mod rain
mod rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
part cloud
light rain
mod rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:37
 mm
2
10
7
2
2
3
5
6
2
1
3
Temp °C
11
10
10
9
9
8
10
9
8
8
9
10
11
11
9
13
15
12
15
17
12
Feels °C
5
3
2
1
1
1
1
0
-3
-1
2
3
7
8
7
11
13
7
12
14
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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