Ikei Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Ikei Island over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a pretty quiet start. The first week or so is basically a write-off. From Monday the 20th right through to Saturday the 26th of July, the surf is just too small to bother with – we’re looking at a tiny 1ft of swell with combined wave energy barely cracking 50 (27-61). The wind is mostly light or glassy, which would be beautiful if there was any wave to ride, but there isn’t. It’s a real shame because the water temp is about average for the time of year, but there’s just nothing to surf on.

Then, things get a bit wild. Sunday the 26th sees a jump in size, but the onshore wind (ENE) turns it into a messy, blown-out situation. By Monday the 27th, the swell is pumping – 12ft to 16ft of SE groundswell with a very long period of 14-15 seconds – but the wind is howling onshore from the NE at 19-25 mph. The energy is massive (over 11,000), but it’s a complete mess for surfing. This is a time when the set-up looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The real standout, and the only true window for a wave, arrives on Monday the 3rd of August. After a couple of days of building but still questionable conditions, we finally get a clean 8ft swell from the N and NNW. The period is a solid 12 seconds, so there’s good energy. The wind is offshore from the SW, light to gentle, and the break is clean. The combined energy is over 2,100, which is moderate-to-strong. This is a solid wave, but with that height, it’s really only for experienced surfers. The reef at Ikei Island should handle that long-period groundswell nicely, but it’s a big, powerful wave. Because it’s a fairly consistent spot, and crowds are sometimes around, you might have some company, but for that quality, it’s worth it.

The following day, Tuesday the 4th, drops back down to 4ft from the east, with a very long 17-second period and gentle offshore wind. It’s a nice, clean, smaller option for the intermediates, but the real magic is on that Monday.

So, in short: a long, flat week, then a nasty stormy spell, and then a cracking Monday for the experienced crew. The rest of the second week falls away into smaller, cleaner but less powerful surf.

Rusty.

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