Rolling Stones Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.83° E

Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rolling Stones sea temperature is
12.1° 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 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, S swell with 3,484 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Fri 21st Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 8s
Best Surf 9AM (Fri 21st Aug)6ft (1.8m) 16s
Most Powerful 9PM (Mon 24th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been looking over the charts for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got one main spot on the radar, Rolling Stones, and it’s got a bit of a story to tell. It’s a reef break, so it needs a bit of respect, and it’s fairly consistent but not always pumping. The water’s sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that chill.

The week starts off a bit of a write-off. Thursday the 20th is a shocker. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell from the south, but the wind is howling cross-shore from the SW at 16 mph, and the wave energy is a massive 2381 (moderate-strong). It’s a messy, choppy mess. Not worth paddling out unless you’re after a beating.

Things turn around on Friday the 21st. That’s where the magic starts. The wind goes glassy offshore from the NW at 3 mph, and the swell drops to a cleaner 6ft from the south, with a super long 16-second period. The wave energy is still high at 1914 (moderate-strong). The morning session is the absolute standout of the whole run – clean, lined-up waves for experienced surfers. The afternoon is a bit more cross-shore, but still decent.

Saturday the 22nd is a good one for a wider range of surfers. The swell drops to 4ft, but it’s clean with offshore winds – NNW 6 mph in the morning, WNW 3 mph in the arvo. The period is a solid 12 seconds, so there’s a bit of push. The energy is moderate (424 and 345). It’s a fun, cruisy day.

Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are flat and not worth your time. The swell drops to 2ft and 2ft, and wind is cross or onshore. A couple of days to get the gear sorted.

Tuesday the 25th is another cracker. The morning sees a 6ft south swell with a 13-second period, clean from a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is 1172 (moderate). The afternoon goes glassy with a 5ft swell – smooth as. That’s a full day of fun.

The rest of the week from Wednesday the 26th to Sunday the 30th is a long, quiet gap. Swell drops to below 3ft, and most days are just small and weak. The energy sinks into the double digits (180, 90). It’s not a total blank, but it’s not making any headlines. The crowds might be nil, but there’s nothing to ride.

But then, we get a late burst. Monday the 31st of August kicks off with a 5ft south swell, 14-second period, clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is 751 (moderate). It’s a solid, fun morning.

The real late-season highlight is Tuesday the 1st of September. The swell jumps back up to 7ft, then 8ft, from the south, with a very long 17-second period in the morning. The wind is offshore from the NW at 9 mph, and the wave energy is a massive 2621 (strong). This is a powerful, groundswell event. It’s a bit big for beginners at over 8ft, so it’s an expert-only day. The long period means it’ll be super clean, but this reef will be handling a lot of water. The morning is the best of the second week.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is still good, with a 5ft swell and a 12-second period, clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is 803 (moderate). A solid follow-up session.

After that, the forecast drops off again into the first week of September, with small, weak, and onshore conditions. The 3rd and 4th are not worth a look.

So, calling it. The absolute best on offer is Friday morning, the 21st of August – that’s your clean, long-period, offshore gem. The second standout is Tuesday the 1st of September, for the big, powerful, expert-only groundswell. Don’t sleep on those two sessions.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun morning, calm by Tue morning).

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
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
3
4
3
3
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
3
2
1
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.3
S
13
2.2
S
8
1.7
S
8
1.8
S
16
1.7
S
16
1.4
S
13
1.2
S
12
1.1
S
12
0.9
S
11
0.7
S
10
0.4
SE
13
0.4
SE
13
1.1
SSW
8
1.5
S
9
2.5
S
15
1.8
S
13
1.4
S
12
1
S
10
0.6
S
15
0.5
S
17
0.8
S
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1890
675
390
1672
1402
649
400
319
189
100
48
44
184
363
3191
1104
556
218
163
147
326
Wind (km/h)
25
SW
20
SSW
5
W
5
NW
10
ENE
10
NNW
10
NNW
5
NW
20
NW
25
NW
25
NW
20
WSW
20
WSW
10
ESE
15
NNW
5
WNW
5
E
15
NW
20
NW
20
WNW
15
NW
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross
cross
cross-on
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
11:22AM1.67m
11:48PM1.62m
12:14PM1.62m
00:35AM1.57m
1:06PM1.58m
1:22AM1.51m
1:56PM1.54m
2:10AM1.45m
2:43PM1.52m
2:58AM1.40m
3:28PM1.49m
3:46AM1.38m
4:13PM1.49m
Low Tide
5:41PM0.40m
6:03AM0.41m
6:30PM0.44m
6:49AM0.45m
7:20PM0.47m
7:35AM0.46m
8:10PM0.48m
8:23AM0.46m
8:57PM0.47m
9:11AM0.44m
9:43PM0.43m
10:00AM0.41m
10:29PM0.39m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:48
6:48
6:46
6:45
6:43
6:41
6:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:35
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
 mm
Temp °C
11
11
9
12
12
10
14
17
13
16
16
13
12
13
10
14
15
12
16
17
14
Feels °C
6
7
7
11
9
7
11
15
8
10
12
9
9
10
6
12
13
9
12
13
11
  • 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