Icelands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

We’ve got a solid run of waves on the way at Icelands. It’s a powerful reef setup, and it’s fairly consistent, so we’re in for a treat. The water temp is sitting at 86°, which is about 1° warmer than average for this time of year, so it’s feeling pretty normal, just a touch on the warm side.

The swell is from the SSW, right in the sweet spot for this break. The period is long to very long, starting at 21 seconds and staying above 15 seconds for most of the run. That’s proper groundswell, meaning lots of energy and nice shape, but at a beachbreak, it can sometimes straighten out a bit. Being a reef, Icelands should handle it well, with better lines.

The real standout is Sunday, August 30th. The morning is looking mint – clear skies, a gentle cross-off breeze, and waist-to-chest high swell (3 ft) with a 21-second period. That’s clean, powerful, and super fun for experienced surfers. The wave energy is very strong (1005). The afternoon holds up nicely too, with slightly bigger surf (3 ft) and the same clean conditions.

From Monday, August 31st through Tuesday, September 1st, the swell kicks up. It’s going to be in the chest-to-head high range (5 ft to 7 ft) with a period of 17-18 seconds. This is still clean with cross-off winds, but the wave state gets a bit more marginal as the swell size increases. It’ll be a lot of water moving around, so keep your wits about you. The energy readings are high (up to 2576), so there’s plenty of push.

There’s a bit of a wildcard on Thursday, September 3rd. The morning goes completely glassy with no wind at all. The swell drops a bit to 5 ft, but it’s still a long 15-second period. That could be a really special, clean session if you can get out when the tide is right. The energy is moderate (877).

After that, through the first weekend of September and into the following week, we see a slight drop in size but the quality hangs in there. The wind stays mostly cross-off or light, keeping things rideable. There’s a promising window around Tuesday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 9th, where the swell picks up again to 5 ft – 7 ft with clean, light winds. Wave energy is very strong (over 2100). The direction swings a touch more southerly on the 9th, which still works well here.

Thursday, September 10th is worth circling on the calendar. It’s looking glassy again, with a solid 6 ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and near-calm conditions. That’s a recipe for a perfect day on the reef. Energy is pumping (2197).

Towards the end of the run, from September 11th to the 14th, the swell stays consistent but the wind gets a bit more active, with moderate breezes and some risk of thunderstorms. The quality drops a notch, but there are still some clean windows with excellent surf conditions noted, especially on the afternoon of the 11th and the 14th.

Overall, this is a great 16-day stretch for Icelands. The standout is Sunday the 30th for the combination of quality and clean conditions. The second standout is Thursday, September 10th for the glassy, powerful conditions. Crowds are often here, so expect company, but the waves are worth it. This is definitely one for the experienced crew, as the swell pushes over 8 ft at times from September 1st into the 9th. Beginners should sit this round out or look for a mellower spot.

Rusty.

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