Icelands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Icelands. This is a solid reef break, exposed to the SSW swell, and it’s fairly consistent, so we’ve got a lot to work with over the next couple of weeks.

The water is sitting at 85°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.4°F, so that’s pretty much bang on average for this time of year – no wetsuit needed, just boardies.

We kick off this Saturday morning, August 1st, with a 5ft SSW swell, a 17-second period, and a cross-off SE wind of 12 mph. The combined energy is strong at 1151. It’s clean, but the conditions are a bit marginal. Not the best start, but it’s surfable. The afternoon drops a touch to 4ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, making it a bit messier.

Sunday morning, August 2nd, is where it starts to get interesting. Still 5ft from the SSW, but the wind goes light cross-off at 3 mph and it’s clean. The period is a solid 16 seconds, and the energy is moderate at 1059. Then Sunday afternoon is a real treat – the swell drops to 3ft, but the wind goes glassy out of the NW at 3 mph. That’s going to be silky smooth, with a long 18-second period. This is a standout for the first week.

Monday, August 3rd, keeps the good times rolling with glassy conditions both morning and afternoon. The swell holds around 4ft to 5ft, with periods of 14-15 seconds. The energy is moderate (893-857). It’s not big, but it’s clean and fun.

Tuesday, August 4th, is another beauty. The wind is calm in the morning – glassy as glass gets – with a 4ft SSW swell and a 16-second period. The energy jumps up to 1208. The afternoon gets a little bigger at 5ft, still glassy with a SW breeze at 3 mph. This is the pick of the first week for clean, consistent waves.

Now, Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th take a turn. The wind swings north, bringing in cross-shore chop and bumpy conditions. The swell bumps up to 6ft by Thursday, but the wind is 22-25 mph, making it a messy, blown-out mess. The energy is very strong (1505-2154), but it’s not worth paddling out – this is more of a kite-surfing setup if anything.

Friday the 7th through Saturday the 8th is still rough. The north wind stays strong, and the swell pushes 7ft to 8ft. The energy is massive (2419-3406), but the wind is howling. It’s big and ugly. Only for the diehards, and even then, it’s a struggle.

Sunday the 9th starts to settle down. The wind drops to a moderate breeze, and the swell is 6ft to 7ft. The energy is still strong (1660-2167), but it’s cleaner. By Monday the 10th, we’re back in business. The wind turns offshore from the ENE at 6 mph in the morning, and the swell is 6ft with a 15-second period. The energy is very strong at 2178. The afternoon glass off with a SSE wind at 3 mph, 6ft swell, and a whopping 21-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is off the charts at 3934. This is a standout for the second week, but it’s a long way out, so file it under “promising but not locked in.”

Tuesday, August 11th, is a monster. Morning brings a 10ft S swell with an 18-second period. The energy is insane at 5574. That’s big, powerful, and only for experts. The wind is cross-off at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but this is for the experienced crew. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still with a 16-second period and clean conditions. The energy is still massive at 4581.

From Wednesday the 12th to Sunday the 16th, the swell drops back to a more manageable 3ft to 7ft range, with periods from 13 to 18 seconds. The wind stays light and cross-off most of the time, keeping things clean. The energy is moderate to strong (1406-1984). It’s consistent, good quality surf for experienced surfers, but nothing is as big or as clean as that Monday-Tuesday window.

Overall, the standout is Tuesday, August 4th, for the glassy, clean conditions. And if you’re an expert, the Monday-Tuesday window of August 10th-11th looks like a proper groundswell pulse with very long periods and clean winds. Crowds are often at Icelands, so expect company, especially on the good days.

Rusty out.

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