
Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SE swell with 1,127 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 25) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period. 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 1.8m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s have a look at Rolling Stones. This is a reef break that needs a southerly swell to get going, and at the moment, it’s been a bit of a waiting game. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a fair bit colder than usual for this time of year – a solid 3° below average, so you’ll want a good hooded wetsuit.
We’re starting off on Thursday the 23rd with a bit of a whimper. There’s some small 3ft groundswell from the south, with a nice long 12-second period, giving a moderate wave energy of 213. It’s surfable, but with a light northerly cross-off breeze, it’s nothing to write home about. By the afternoon, the swell drops even more.
Friday the 24th has clean, gentle offshore winds from the NNW, but the swell is tiny – just 1ft. The wave energy is weak (40-58), so it’s a struggle.
Saturday the 25th sees a small easterly swell build to 2ft, but the wind is all over the place. The morning is cross-off, but the afternoon turns into a fresh cross-shore mess with gusts up to 22 mph. Not worth it.
Sunday the 26th is where things start to get interesting. The swell jumps to 7ft from the south, with a moderate 9-second period and strong wave energy (1007). The catch? The wind is WSW cross-shore and it’s a *marginal* forecast. It’s a bit too big for beginners, and the conditions aren’t perfect. Monday the 27th is similar – 7ft swell, but cross-onshore winds and choppy. The afternoon swell drops to 5ft but the period stretches to 13 seconds, with a very strong energy of 1715, but the wind is fresh and lumpy.
Now, Wednesday the 29th is the first real standout. The morning brings clear skies, a light WNW cross-off breeze, and 6ft of south-east groundswell with a 13-second period. The wave energy is strong (1047), and the conditions are set to be very good. This is the best bet for a clean, powerful session. The crowd could pop up though, as it’s a *sometimes* busy spot.
Thursday the 30th is another winner. We’ve got a 5ft south-east swell, 13-second period, and the morning is glassy with a light offshore NW wind. That’s a solid 870 in wave energy. The afternoon goes completely glassy, with a 5ft swell. Both top options.
The next good window is Monday the 3rd of August. The morning has a 12ft south swell, 10-second period, and a light westerly cross-off breeze. The wave energy is very strong (2678), but this is *expert only* territory – way too big for anyone without experience. The crowd is a concern, but if you’ve got the skills, the conditions are excellent.
The rest of the second week is a write-off. Strong winds, messy seas, and nothing but poor conditions. There’s a massive 15ft swell on the 2nd of August, but the wind is howling onshore, making it a washing machine. That’s one for the kite surfers, not the paddle crew.
Overall, the best windows are the morning sessions on the 29th and 30th of July. After that, the 3rd of August is a big swell for the brave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Thu morning, strong winds from the SW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 5°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 | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
180 | 75 | 34 | 30 | 26 | 57 | 125 | 157 | 723 | 653 | 623 | 392 | 555 | 808 | 1019 | 990 | 946 | 1127 | 996 | 890 | 597 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | off |
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 | ||||||||
7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 4 | -1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 5 | S 10 | S 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 16 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 12 |
180 | 75 | 9 | 30 | 26 | 57 | 125 | 157 | 245 | 301 | 431 | 392 | 302 | 368 | 1019 | 990 | 946 | 1127 | 996 | 890 | 597 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 10 | NE 6 | E 8 | S 9 | NE 7 | SE 17 | E 11 | ESE 10 | SSW 15 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSW 14 | S 17 |
30 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 106 | 83 | 33 | 42 | 351 | 536 | 808 | 730 | 496 | 318 | 111 | 32 | 41 | 212 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 18 | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SW 14 | S 15 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 7 | NE 4 |
3 | 18 | 22 | 10 | 21 | 5 | 13 | 25 | 52 | 20 | 100 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 46 | 38 | 19 | 10 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | NE 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NE 6 | NE 5 | WNW 3 | WSW 4 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | — | S 8 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NW 3 |
2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 43 | 7 | 49 | 723 | 653 | 623 | — | 555 | 524 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 41 | 65 | 7 | 93 | 1 | 47 | 95 | 47 | 47 | 91 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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.










