Ikei Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s happening at Ikei Island (Okinawa).

Right off the bat, the next few days are a tough watch. The first surf I can even talk about is a little pulse showing up on Sunday, 2nd August. Through Thursday morning, 30th July, and all of Friday and Saturday, the swell is tiny – like 0.7 ft to 1.3 ft at best, with very weak combined energy (29 down to 8). The water is a touch warmer than normal at 86.2°, which is a nice bath, but there’s just nothing to ride.

Sunday morning, 2nd August, things start to wake up. The wind is a cross-shore from the NNW at 15 km/h, and we get a long-period 19-second groundswell coming from the ESE at 1.0 ft. The combined energy jumps to 142 (moderate). It’s still poor surf conditions, but the swell is building. By Sunday afternoon, the swell bumps to 2.0 ft from the E with a 17-second period, and combined energy hits 245 (moderate). The wind stays cross-shore, but it’s a gentle breeze, so there’s a bit of chop. It’s marginal, but it’s a start.

Monday, 3rd August, sees more size. The morning brings 3.9 ft from the E with a 15-second period, and combined energy is 655 (moderate). The wind is cross-onshore from the N at 15 km/h, so it’s fairly choppy. The afternoon pushes up to 4.3 ft from the E, 16-second period, with energy at 896 (moderate). Still cross-onshore, but lighter. It’s still in the marginal zone.

Now, Tuesday, 4th August, is where it gets interesting. Morning: 6.6 ft from the E, 18-second period, combined energy of 2463 (strong). Wind is light cross-onshore from the N at 10 km/h – small ripples only. That’s a solid, long-period groundswell. The afternoon gets even bigger: 6.9 ft from the E, 18-second period, energy up to 2654 (strong). But the wind switches to onshore from the NE at 15 km/h, making it messy. The morning is the pick, but at 6.6 ft, this is getting into intermediate territory and might be a handful for beginners.

Wednesday, 5th August, the swell goes huge: 9.8 ft in the morning, 11.5 ft in the afternoon, both from the E with 18-second periods. Energy is 5074 and 7808 (very strong). But the wind is a moderate to fresh cross-onshore breeze (20–30 km/h), so it’s choppy and lumpy. At this size, only experts should be out, and the conditions are poor.

Thursday, 6th August, is the biggest day of the run. Swell hits 18.0 ft from the E, 19-second period, with combined energy up to 20,562 and 22,986 (extremely strong). The wind is a strong cross-shore from the N and NNW (45–55 km/h), creating messy cross-chop. The data says the wind and tide are favourable, but the swell is simply too big for this reef break. This is a monster, and I’d stay well clear unless you’re a seasoned charger.

Friday, 7th August, is a write-off. The swell drops to 13.1 ft from the N, but the wind is hurricane-force from the SSW at 125 km/h in the afternoon. The morning has storm-force winds from the WNW at 90 km/h. The water is clean, but you cannot paddle in that. It’s dangerous.

After that, from Saturday, 8th August, through to the end of the period on Friday, 14th August, the swell drops away and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the E and SE, with speeds from 15 to 35 km/h. Swell sizes are between 1.3 ft and 5.2 ft, with combined energy ranging from 56 (weak) up to 762 (moderate). The wind is consistently messing things up, and the surf is labelled as poor or marginal. There’s really no standout window after the big pulse.

The best on offer: Without a doubt, the morning of Tuesday, 4th August. That 6.6 ft, 18-second E groundswell with light cross-onshore wind (small ripples only) is the cleanest wave of the period. The combined energy is strong (2463), and the long period will give good shape at this reef. It’s a solid size, so not for beginners, but for intermediates and up, that’s the session to aim for. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 86.2°, which is a bonus.

Honourable mention goes to Sunday afternoon, 2nd August, with 2.0 ft from the E and a 17-second period, but it’s only marginal and the wind is cross-shore. That’s a small warm-up wave.

It’s a bit of a barren run either side of that Tuesday morning pulse. The first week is mostly tiny, then a big, windy swell, then a long tail of crummy conditions. Hoping the forecasts change, but for now, circle that Tuesday morning

Read more