Rolling Stones Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.83° E

Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rolling Stones sea temperature is
12.3° C
1.6° 

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 12 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 15s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 15s period, S swell with 15,573 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s 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 6.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Fri 14th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 7s
Best Surf 9AM (Wed 19th Aug)20ft (6.0m) 15s
Most Powerful 9AM (Wed 19th Aug)20ft (6.0m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up for Rolling Stones. It's a solid reef break, but not one for the faint-hearted.

The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of choppy, messy conditions to work through before we get to the real prize. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than we usually see this time of year, so you'll want the extra rubber.

The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday the 12th through to the end of the following week is mostly junk. We've got a brief window of flat, glassy conditions on Friday morning the 14th, but the swell is only 2ft and weak (69). Don't get excited. Saturday the 15th morning has a little bump of 5ft from the east, but it's still ordinary. Then Sunday the 16th gets ugly with a strong 12ft southerly swell but howling cross-onshore winds, making a total mess of things. The combined energy is a massive 2250, but it's unsurfable. That messy, onshore pattern drags through the middle of the following week.

Now, here's the standout. For the experienced crew, mark your calendar for Thursday, 20 August. The morning session is where it's at. We've got a clean 10ft south swell with a solid 13-second period (2638 combined energy), light offshore winds from the west, and clear skies. That's a proper groundswell at a reef, and it's going to be lined up. It's big, well over 8ft, so it's experts only, but the conditions are excellent. The wind is light and offshore, so it'll be clean.

Friday the 21st is also a good option, with a consistent 6ft south swell (916) and clean cross-offshore winds from the north. It's a step down in size, making it more manageable for strong intermediates, and still very good.

The following Saturday morning, 22 August, is another one to watch. It's a touch smaller at 6ft, but the period is a very long 15 seconds, and the wind is glassy. That's a long-period groundswell, and at this reef, it'll be pure perfection, but again, for the experienced surfer.

For the rest of the second week, it tails off into small, clean but weak surf. The morning of Wednesday, 26 August, has a tiny 2ft swell, and the afternoon turns glassy with a 3ft south swell from a 16-second period. It'll be clean, but small.

So, the play is clear: if you're a keen surfer, hold out for the Thursday 20th morning for the biggest, cleanest swell, or the Friday 21st for a slightly smaller but still excellent session. The crowds are only "sometimes" an issue here, so you might get some waves to yourself.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Sat morning, strong winds from the SSW by Sat night).

Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
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
1
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SSE
8
1.4
SE
10
1.2
SE
9
1
SE
9
0.7
SE
8
0.7
SE
8
0.6
SE
8
1
E
7
1.3
E
7
1.4
E
8
1.2
E
8
2.2
SSW
6
3.5
S
9
3.5
S
9
2.5
S
9
2.2
S
8
2.5
S
8
2.4
SSW
9
1.8
S
8
1.8
S
8
4
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
245
416
242
155
66
67
50
88
173
228
160
350
2182
2079
1095
612
1010
880
418
371
4100
Wind (km/h)
15
NE
20
NE
20
NNE
20
NNE
25
NE
20
NE
5
NW
10
NE
10
NE
5
W
10
SSE
15
SSW
45
SSW
40
SSW
35
SSW
35
SSW
30
SSW
20
WSW
25
WSW
30
SW
20
W
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
4:56PM1.86m
5:26AM1.71m
5:54PM1.87m
6:24AM1.72m
6:49PM1.87m
7:19AM1.73m
7:41PM1.84m
8:11AM1.75m
8:31PM1.81m
9:00AM1.76m
9:21PM1.76m
9:46AM1.75m
10:10PM1.71m
Low Tide
10:43AM0.10m
11:18PM0.11m
11:39AM0.06m
00:16AM0.09m
12:32PM0.05m
1:11AM0.09m
1:24PM0.08m
2:02AM0.11m
2:17PM0.13m
2:51AM0.16m
3:09PM0.20m
3:39AM0.22m
4:01PM0.28m
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
heavy rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:58
6:58
6:56
6:56
6:54
6:52
6:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:28
5:29
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:32
 mm
2
3
1
9
15
2
1
5
5
Temp °C
12
12
11
11
12
13
14
15
13
13
13
13
10
9
8
9
10
10
10
11
10
Feels °C
8
8
7
7
8
10
14
14
11
12
12
11
2
1
0
1
3
4
4
5
5
  • 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