Ikei Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. Only one spot here: Ikei Island, a reef that’s fairly consistent but needs the right swell. The first few days are flat and not worth your time. The real action comes later, but it’s a wild ride.

Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are tiny – 0.2m to 0.6m of east swell, mostly clean or glassy but no power. The combined energy is weak, starting at 8 and hitting 235 by Sunday afternoon. Not enough to get wet. Monday the 3rd sees a little build, 1.2m to 1.3m east swell, 15 to 16-second period, but the wind is cross to cross-on, a bit choppy. Combined energy is 669 to 850, so moderate energy, but it’s not clean. Tuesday the 4th gets bigger, 1.7m to 1.9m east swell, 18-second period, but the wind is cross-on to onshore, only marginal. Combined energy is strong at 1765 to 2174, but the wind is messing it up.

Wednesday the 5th is the start of the big stuff, but it’s not for us. Swell hits 3.0m to 3.5m from the east, 18-second period, combined energy 5830 to 7869 – that’s strong wave energy. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore breeze, making it choppy and messy. Too big for beginners, not clean. Thursday the 6th has 6.0m swell from the east, 19-second period, combined energy 25004 to 27124 – very strong, massive energy. Wind is a fresh to strong cross-onshore, lumpy and messy. Only for experts, and the wind is a killer. Friday the 7th is even worse – 8.0m to 9.0m swell, shifting to NNE, period dropping to 14 seconds, combined energy 53112 to 60984 – extreme. Wind is near gale to gale force cross-shore, a total mess. This is not surfable. Saturday the 8th is a write-off – storm force winds, no swell data, zero energy. Stay home.

After that, the swell drops quickly. Sunday the 9th has 0.9m east-northeast swell, 10-second period, moderate energy at 219, but the wind is a moderate cross-offshore breeze, so it’s clean. Small, though. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are a mix of tiny swell and crazy wind, nothing good. Wednesday the 12th is the standout for the second week – 0.9m east-northeast swell, 13-second period, combined energy 286 to 294, and the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze, clean. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 30°, about average for this time of year. Small but fun for a longboard or fish. The rest of the second week is a mix of small, wind-affected swell, with a bit of clean surf on the 15th but only 0.5m to 0.7m. There’s a big gap from the 8th to the 12th with no real surf.

So, the best bet in the whole window is Wednesday the 12th at Ikei Island. Small, clean, and the long 13-second groundswell will give you some nice shape on the reef. Friendly for intermediates. The only other day worth a look is Sunday the 9th, but it’s smaller and windier. The big stuff from the 5th to the 7th is too big and too windy for paddling – with that wind and size, it’s more of a kite surfing setup than a paddle surf one. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though, because this area can turn around.

Rusty.

Read more