The Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfer, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the ocean’s got cookin’ for us. We’ve got a solid stretch of groundswell lining up, but it’s not all gonna be clean. The main story is a decent SSW pulse that’s gonna run for a bit, but the local winds are gonna be the thing that sorts the men from the boys. It’s not gonna be a total washout, but you’re gonna have to pick your moments.

The first window of real interest is Tuesday, August 18th. The Rock (Kabalana) is breaking at 7ft. This is a strong SSW groundswell with a long 19-second period. The energy is strong, we’re talking 3824 on the dial. The water’s sitting at 82°, which is about average for this time of year. The morning has a risk of tstorms and a cross-shore W wind at 12 mph, which will kick up a bit of a cross-chop. Honestly, it looks a bit messy and marginal. It’s surfable for sure, but not the cleanest.

The swell holds through Wednesday, August 19th, but the wind swings more cross-on from the W. The energy actually builds to 4753 by the afternoon, but the chop is gonna make it tricky. Unless you’re really keen, this day looks like a fight. Thursday the 20th sees the swell ease a little to 6ft with a 16-second period. Still a lot of energy (2041), but the wind stays cross-shore. It’s still marginal.

The surf stays in the 4ft to 5ft range through Friday and Saturday, with the period dropping to 14-15 seconds. The energy is dropping too, down to around the 1000 mark. Still cross-shore winds and a bit of chop. These are the days for the longboard or a funboard, just to get wet. It’s not gonna be epic.

Now, there’s a serious gap of poor conditions from Sunday the 23rd through to the end of the month. The swell drops, the winds get messier, and the forecast is calling out "poor surf conditions" on a few days. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st bring a little more size back (5ft to 5ft) but the energy jumps, and the wind remains problematic. It’s just not coming together cleanly.

But hold on, don’t write it off yet. The standout of the entire run is looking like Tuesday, September 1st. We’ve got a solid SSW swell pushing back up to 7ft, with a 16-second period. The energy is strong at 2707. The wind is still W at 16 mph in the morning, but it’s cross-shore, not onshore. It’s gonna be a bigger, more powerful day at The Rock. This is the pick of the week, but it’s a week out, so take it with a grain of salt. Long-range calls are always a bit of a gamble.

So, there you have it. The next few days are all about catching the energy early before the wind messes it up. The real gem is that September 1st window if the forecast holds. You got a week to get your quiver ready for that one.

Stay salty.

Rusty.

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