The Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee and settle in. Let me talk you through what’s on offer at The Rock over the next couple of weeks.

First things first, the water temp is sitting at 81°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing wild to report there.

Now, for the here and now, it’s a bit of a rough start. The wave energy is strong at 1914, but with a cross-onshore wind and that S swell running 4 ft with a long 19 second period, it’s going to be choppy and messy. The Rock is a reef, so that long period groundswell from the south can work well here, but the wind is just killing the quality. Honestly, the first few days are a write-off. We’ve got a stretch from Tuesday the 11th right through to Sunday the 16th where the conditions are either marginal or just poor. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the swell is a mixed bag. The energy drops off, hitting moderate levels like 665 and even weak levels like 436. It’s not the kind of surf you’d paddle out for unless you’re desperate.

The real story starts to build from Monday the 17th. That afternoon, the swell ticks up a little, but it’s the middle of the following week that’s got my attention. On Tuesday the 18th, the swell jumps up to 7 ft from the SSW, with a very long 19 second period. The combined energy is massive – hitting 3536. That’s a serious amount of power in the water. Now, with that size, over 8 ft, this is strictly for the crew who know what they’re doing. The wind is still cross-shore which creates a bit of chop, but the power of that SSW groundswell on the reef at The Rock should produce some hefty, lined-up waves. This is the standout of the whole forecast. Wednesday the 19th holds similar at 7 ft to 7 ft from the SSW, so a good backup day for anyone who misses Tuesday.

After that, the energy stays moderate to strong into the weekend of the 22nd, but the wind stays a bit of a problem, mostly cross or cross-onshore, so the quality will drop back off. The swell does drop, and by Sunday the 23rd we’re back to smaller, weaker surf. There’s another pulse of moderate swell around Monday the 24th, but the wind is forecast to be steady cross or cross-onshore, so it’s not going to clean up nicely.

To be honest, if you’ve got your wetsuit ready, the absolute best window is Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th. That’s the big, powerful SSW groundswell coming in. The rest of the run is a scratchy affair with more wind than quality surf.

Rusty.

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