Rolling Stones Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.83° E

Rolling Stones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rolling Stones sea temperature is
12.7° C
1.5° 

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 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, S swell with 6,698 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. 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 5.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Tue 21st Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 14s
Best Surf 9PM (Tue 21st Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 14s
Most Powerful 6AM (Mon 27th Jul)16ft (5.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Hey folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is a bit of a mixed bag for Rolling Stones, a reef setup that needs a good S or SE swell and clean conditions to really shine. There’s a rough patch in the middle, but we’ve got a couple of windows that should light up for the right surfer.

The first few days, starting Monday the 20th of July, are pretty average. Swell is there, but the wind is all wrong – cross-on and messy, with waves between 6ft and 8ft. The combined energy is pumping up to 4093, but it’s wasted with that chop. Hold off.

Things start to look up on Wednesday the 22nd. The swell drops to a clean 4ft in the morning, still from the S with a 12-second period, and the wind goes glassy. Combined energy is a moderate 540 and the report says "expect good surf conditions." That’s a solid morning session for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays glassy with 4ft waves and 371 energy – both sessions are a go. Thursday morning the 23rd gets glassy again but the swell is down to 3ft, so it's small and clean.

Then we hit a dead zone. From Friday the 24th of July through the weekend and into early the following week, it’s mostly poor. The swell tries to pump up, but the wind is either howling or onshore. On Sunday the 26th, a gale-force cross-shore with 10ft to 13ft swells is just a mess – that’s for kite surfers only. This rough stretch will last about five days.

Now, the real standout is a long-range call. On Wednesday the 29th of July, we get a clean morning with a 8ft swell from the SE, 12-second period, and a light offshore breeze from the NW. The combined energy is a strong 2284, and the report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is the best on offer – a proper groundswell with power and clean faces. The tide could be a factor, so check the charts, but this is the one to circle. The afternoon stays clean but with a cross-shore, so still good.

After that, Thursday the 30th of July morning has a 6ft SE swell with a light cross-offshore wind and 878 energy – "expect very good surf conditions." That’s a solid follow-up session. The afternoon goes glassy with 5ft waves. The run continues into Friday the 31st with a clean 3ft offshore swell.

The second week starts to fade again. The morning of Sunday the 2nd of August brings a clean 5ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and light offshore wind – combined energy 844 and "expect very good surf conditions." That’s a promising but less certain call for the long range. The afternoon glassy at 6ft is also a lovely option. After that, the wind picks up again and the swell gets big and messy, so the window shuts.

Water temp is about average for the time of year, no major anomalies to report.

Rusty signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun night, min 7°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the W by Sat morning).

Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
S
16
1.8
S
15
2.3
S
19
2.5
S
18
2.3
S
16
2
S
15
1.6
S
13
1.3
S
12
1.1
S
12
1.1
S
12
0.8
S
11
0.5
S
12
0.4
SSW
10
0.3
S
10
0.6
E
9
0.8
E
10
0.9
E
11
0.9
ESE
11
0.6
SE
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1452
1415
3752
4586
2609
1699
905
501
342
371
166
75
35
17
58
138
188
191
158
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
15
SSW
15
SSW
15
S
10
WSW
5
S
10
NNW
5
NW
5
ESE
5
WNW
5
N
15
NE
15
NNW
15
NNW
20
NNW
20
NNW
35
W
15
WSW
25
NNE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
9:50PM1.81m
10:17AM1.72m
10:42PM1.74m
11:07AM1.68m
11:33PM1.68m
11:59AM1.65m
00:24AM1.62m
12:54PM1.62m
1:14AM1.58m
1:46PM1.61m
2:03AM1.55m
2:36PM1.59m
2:51AM1.51m
Low Tide
4:12AM0.14m
4:30PM0.21m
5:02AM0.20m
5:23PM0.29m
5:51AM0.28m
6:15PM0.36m
6:39AM0.36m
7:08PM0.42m
7:27AM0.42m
8:00PM0.47m
8:15AM0.47m
8:50PM0.50m
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:20
7:20
7:20
7:18
7:18
7:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:07
5:08
5:09
5:09
5:10
5:12
 mm
2
1
Temp °C
12
11
10
10
10
10
8
11
11
9
12
13
10
15
14
13
11
12
11
Feels °C
9
7
6
6
7
8
6
9
8
7
9
10
6
11
10
10
4
7
6
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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