Icelands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the upcoming swell for Icelands.

We’ve got a long stretch of decent, solid swell lining up at Icelands, a reef break. It kicks off on Thursday the 6th of August, but honestly, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. The ocean’s got plenty of energy, with a combined swell energy reading of 1989, but a stiff 12 mph crosswind from the NNW is going to mess it up, and conditions are calling for a risk of thunderstorms. It’s a real battle out there, with 6 ft of SSW groundswell at a long 16-second period, but not clean enough to get excited about.

Friday the 7th is more of the same – crosswinds and 7 ft of SSW swell offering a lot of grunt (2809 combined energy), but it’s just not clean. Saturday the 8th is where we start to see a real shift. The morning is still a bit messy with a crosswind, but by Saturday afternoon, the wind swings to the east at a light 6 mph and turns offshore. That 7 ft SSW swell at 16 seconds will start to clean right up. It’s a bigger swell, so it’s more for the experienced crew, but the water temperature is a warm 85°, which is about average for this time of year. This is the first real standout window.

Sunday the 9th through to Tuesday the 11th keeps the size around the 5 ft to 7 ft mark, with clean conditions thanks to a light cross-offshore breeze. The swell direction is a solid S to SSW, which is exactly what this reef likes. The energy is strong, hitting over 3000 on Tuesday morning. It’s a groundswell with a period around 16-17 seconds, so it’ll have great shape and power, but the long period means the sets will be a bit more spaced out, giving you time to get back out the back.

The next real standout is Wednesday the 12th of August. We’ve got a 6 ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, combined energy of 1752, and a light cross-offshore breeze. The report calls it excellent for experienced surfers, and I’d agree. That afternoon session is going to be a gem.

Keep an eye on Thursday the 13th to Friday the 14th. The swell drops a touch, but then builds back to 8 ft on Friday morning with a super light cross-offshore breeze. The water is still glassy, and the energy is strong at 2794. That’s a top-tier session for the advanced crew.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th of August settles down a bit into the 5 ft range, but the conditions stay clean. It’s a good run of smaller, cleaner waves for the more consistent surfer.

Now, the real big dog is waiting for us on the 19th and 20th of August. That’s a week and a half away, so it’s a long-range call, but it’s looking massive. We’re talking 8 ft of SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period. The combined energy is a huge 4172 to 4365. That’s a tonne of power. The wind is forecast to be a light cross-offshore from the SSE. This is a serious swell, only for experts. The long period will make it a freight train at this reef, with long, clean lines. It’s the best on offer in the whole 16-day outlook, but keep your fingers crossed the forecast holds.

The 21st of August closes out the window with a still-strong 8 ft of clean SSW swell, easing off into the afternoon.

Overall, there’s a lot to like here. The first week is a slog, but once that offshore wind kicks in, Icelands is going to be firing. The standout is the 19th and 20th of August – that’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

Read more