
Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, S swell with 7,301 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what Rolling Stones has in store for us. It's a bit of a mixed bag, so let's get into it.
Right off the bat, things are looking pretty average. The first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th are a no-go with moderate to fresh cross-onshore breezes making a mess of things. You're looking at a combined swell energy that climbs from 987 up to 1665, but it’s all for nothing with that wind. The water here is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a good wetsuit.
We finally get our first real window early on Wednesday the 29th. The wind swings offshore from the NNW at just 3 mph, turning the place glassy. There's a clean 6.2ft swell from the SE with a period of 13 seconds, and while it's not huge, that combo of clean conditions and solid groundswell energy (1117) makes this a real standout for a morning session. This is an advanced reef break, so it's not for the faint of heart, and it can get crowded at times, but with conditions like that, it'll be worth an early paddle.
Thursday the 30th morning offers another solid option. Another offshore from the NNW at 9 mph keeps it clean. You've got a slightly smaller 4.6ft swell from the ESE with a 12-second period. The energy's dropped to 690, but the quality will be high. It's a gentler day than Wednesday, but a great clean option.
There's a bit of a lull with smaller surf and variable winds until we get to a promising period in the second week. The big news is the possibility of an excellent session on Thursday the 6th of August. Early that morning, we see a 7.5ft swell from the SE with a 11-second period, combined with a clean offshore breeze from the NNW at 6 mph. The combined energy is a solid 1376. This is pushing into expert-only territory at over 6.5ft, but for those who can handle it, the conditions will be prime. Keep an eye on this one, it's a long-range standout that could be the pick of the bunch.
The rest of that second week is a mix of solid but messy swells and strong onshore winds, with another big pulse of 13ft+ groundswell arriving but again ruined by strong southerly winds. The pattern is there, but you need to pick your window.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 9 | S 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | SE 15 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
493 | 458 | 630 | 906 | 1005 | 2278 | 1952 | 1417 | 1077 | 918 | 722 | 509 | 379 | 247 | 218 | 193 | 109 | 206 | 176 | 2679 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:22PM1.58m | 3:37AM1.48m | 4:08PM1.56m | 4:23AM1.45m | 4:53PM1.55m | 5:09AM1.43m | 5:37PM1.55m | 5:56AM1.42m | 6:22PM1.55m | 6:43AM1.44m | 7:06PM1.57m | 7:30AM1.47m | 7:50PM1.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:37PM0.50m | 9:53AM0.48m | 10:23PM0.49m | 10:40AM0.45m | 11:08PM0.46m | 11:24AM0.41m | 11:53PM0.41m | 12:05PM0.37m | 00:38AM0.36m | 12:47PM0.33m | 1:23AM0.32m | 1:30PM0.31m | 2:07AM0.29m | |||||||
— | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | NE 8 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NE 16 |
493 | 458 | 630 | 689 | 864 | 2278 | 1952 | 1417 | 1077 | 918 | 722 | 509 | 379 | 247 | 218 | 169 | 109 | 206 | 176 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | ESE 11 | SSW 10 | NE 8 |
22 | 37 | 17 | 70 | 64 | 27 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 20 | 162 | 181 | 84 | 62 | 32 | 193 | 21 | 66 | 62 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | SW 14 | — | — | — | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 11 | — | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | NE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 10 |
55 | 53 | — | — | — | 57 | 16 | — | 6 | 5 | 22 | — | 25 | 21 | 20 | 36 | 51 | 7 | 45 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | — | S 8 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NNE 4 | NE 7 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | SSW 7 | S 12 |
417 | 355 | 421 | 906 | 1005 | — | 227 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 176 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 36 | 2679 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 202 | 7 | 41 | 95 | 82 | 82 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
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.










