Surf Forecasts:
Rolling Stones surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, S swell with 8,557 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period with SSE 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 (Aug 07) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 10s is also forecast. 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 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rolling Stones over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s switch to feet and degrees.
We’re looking at Rolling Stones, a solid reef setup, and it’s a long wait for the good stuff. The first few days are a write-off, with a strong south swell piling in and onshore winds making a mess of things. The water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, running about 55°, so grab a thicker suit. We’re talking a big, powerful swell with combined energy reading 3975 (moderate to strong), but the wind is just no good for us.
The first real window of opportunity opens up on the morning of Thursday, August 7th. The swell drops to 6ft from the SSE, but the wind swings around to a light NW – that’s a light offshore breeze, and it’ll clean things right up. The energy is down to 1059 (moderate), but with a 10-second period, it’ll be shapely. This is the standout session. It’s only a 6ft swell, so it’s solid for a good crew, and the reef will handle the direction well. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
The Friday morning, August 8th, is another cracker. We’ve got a 6ft S swell with a 12-second period, combined energy of 1127 (moderate), and a clean NW offshore wind. This is a very good, clean option. The Saturday afternoon, August 9th, also cleans up with a 4ft S swell and a 14-second period, glassy conditions with a light W wind, but it’s a smaller day.
After that, from Monday, August 11th, we hit a rough patch of rain, onshore winds, and messy surf for almost a week. The swell stays big, but the wind is against us. By the morning of Thursday, August 13th, we get a tiny window of glassy conditions with a 5ft SE swell, but the period is only 9 seconds, so it’s just a surfable, small wave.
The second week gets messy again. The swell builds back up to 13ft from the SE with an 11-second period towards the 19th, but the wind is cross or cross-on, and the energy readings are huge (over 3500). This is powerful, heavy stuff, only for experts. The light wind on the morning of Wednesday, August 19th (13ft SE, 11-second period, 3532 energy) might be a last-chance look for the brave, but it’s a marginal call.
The best of the whole 16 days is the Thursday, August 7th morning, and the Friday, August 8th morning. Clean, offshore winds, chest to head-high swell, and good energy. That’s the call.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Mild temperatures (max 9°C on Thu afternoon, min 4°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Tue night, light winds from the WNW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 10 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3972 | 4694 | 6730 | 7149 | 4829 | 2846 | 2032 | 776 | 643 | 749 | 1078 | 1285 | 989 | 722 | 475 | 326 | 515 | 582 | 383 | 2101 | 2802 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 9:39AM1.59m | 10:04PM1.65m | 10:22AM1.63m | 10:51PM1.66m | 11:10AM1.67m | 11:41PM1.67m | 12:04PM1.70m | 00:33AM1.67m | 1:01PM1.74m | 1:29AM1.67m | 2:00PM1.77m | 2:29AM1.68m | 2:59PM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:49PM0.29m | 4:19AM0.27m | 4:38PM0.30m | 5:05AM0.28m | 5:29PM0.31m | 5:54AM0.28m | 6:23PM0.31m | 6:46AM0.27m | 7:22PM0.29m | 7:41AM0.25m | 8:22PM0.24m | 8:41AM0.22m | 9:21PM0.19m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | |  | | |  |  | |  | |  |  |  | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 12 | 11 | 20 |
Temp °C | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Feels °C | 0 | -3 | -3 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | SE 16 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 41 | 1636 | 776 | 643 | 749 | 450 | 1285 | 989 | 722 | 475 | 326 | 515 | 582 | 383 | 8 | 15 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | SE 15 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 18 | S 16 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 9 | SSE 15 | S 15 | S 10 | NE 8 | NE 6 | NE 12 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 34 | 457 | 164 | 222 | 1078 | 144 | 33 | 14 | 21 | 109 | 255 | 71 | 11 | 5 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 18 | — | SE 13 | S 13 | SE 12 | E 14 | SSE 16 | E 13 | E 12 | S 18 | E 12 | SW 18 | E 12 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 212 | 88 | 175 | 4 | 105 | 3 | 3 | 57 | 11 | 13 | 11 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | NW 3 | N 3 | NE 4 | WNW 3 | W 3 | SSW 10 | S 11 |
| kJ | 3972 | 4694 | 6730 | 7149 | 4829 | 2846 | 2032 | — | 295 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 3 | 5 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 2101 | 2802 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 82 | 158 | 169 | 91 | 162 | 78 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 110 | 129 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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