Icelands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Alright, listen up. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the back half of this forecast looks like it’s got some real magic for those who are patient. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, but hold on for the good stuff.

We’re looking at Icelands first. This is a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s fairly consistent. It’s an advanced spot, so best leave the beginners on the beach for a while. The water temperature is sitting at 86°F right now, which is about 1°F warmer than usual for this time of year—nothing wild, just a touch of tropical warmth.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are a bit of a wash. We’ve got a 6ft to 6ft SSE swell, but it’s coming in with a stiff 30 km/h cross-offshore wind, making it messy. The combined energy is moderate (885 to 897), but with that wind, it’s just not clean. Score is low. Skip it.

Monday the 27th sees the swell drop to 4ft, with a 10-second period, and the wind easing to 15 km/h. It’s still cross-off, so it’s okay, but nothing to write home about. The energy is dropping to 400. Still a marginal call.

Tuesday the 28th is where we start to see a glimmer. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind on Tuesday afternoon goes glassy, dead calm. That’s a major positive. It’s small, but clean. Energy is 382. A good session for a longboard or a fish.

Wednesday the 29th afternoon gets interesting. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and it goes glassy again. The combined energy bumps up to 608. This is where the quality starts to show. Very good, clean conditions.

Now, Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are where it starts to get really good. The swell is 4ft to 4ft, the period is 16 to 19 seconds, and the wind is either light offshore or glassy. The energy is in the 800 to 900 range. This is classic, clean, long-period groundswell. The sets will be a bit spaced out, but the shape will be excellent. This is the kind of reef-swell that makes Icelands a gem.

The standout is Saturday the 1st of August. The morning session shows a 5ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, and the combined energy spikes to 1404. The wind is just a slight air, leaving it clean. That’s a strong, clean groundswell. At 5ft, it’s getting into the sweet spot, but it’s still manageable for advanced surfers. The water will be clean. This is the best on offer for the first week.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are still decent, with 4ft to 4ft swell, 15 to 16-second periods, and glassy or light winds. Energy is 700 to 800. Good, but not the standouts.

Now, we hit a rough patch. Tuesday the 4th through Friday the 7th gets blown out. The wind swings to the NW, and we get onshore and cross-onshore conditions. The swell is still there (4ft to 6ft), but the wind is 15 to 40 km/h, making it lumpy and choppy. The energy is high (up to 2000), but it’s just a mess. The setups look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this window. Avoid it.

Saturday the 8th of August afternoon is a redemption. The wind goes glassy, the swell is 4ft with an 18-second period, and the energy is 1775. That’s a very clean, powerful groundswell with perfect conditions. Expert surfers only.

The final standout is Sunday the 9th of August. The morning has a 7ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, light offshore wind, and a combined energy of 2393. That’s strong. The afternoon goes glassy with a 7ft swell. This is big, powerful, and clean. At 7ft, this is for experts only. The crowd profile at Icelands is “often,” so expect a few people out there, but with conditions this good, the lineup will be worth it. This is the best of the whole outlook. Clean, strong, and long-period. It’s a long way out, but it is promising.

So, to wrap it up: the first week has a few glimmers, but the real magic is on Saturday the 1st of August and Sunday the 9th of August. August 9th is the big one.

Rusty.

Read more