Red Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in. Rusty here. It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks for Red Island.

First thing to note: the water is sitting at 53°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget a decent steamer.

The first few days are a write-off, I’m not gonna lie. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th are all poor surf conditions with messy cross-shore winds and weak, short-period swell. Nothing worth paddling out for. Friday the 14th is still a bit of a dud, though the afternoon shows a pulse of 6 ft from the ENE, but it’s on a short 7-second period and cross-onshore, so it’s marginal at best.

Saturday the 15th morning has some size – 8 ft from the ENE – but the wind is cross, and the combined energy is moderate (1308). The afternoon cleans up a bit, but it’s not great. Sunday the 16th is a no-go with strong, howling cross-onshore winds and a messy 10 ft swell. Stick to the couch.

Monday the 17th is still messy with a moderate cross-shore and an 8 ft SSE swell that’s got a lot of energy (1941 to 2221), but it’s not clean. Tuesday the 18th morning is the first real glimmer of hope. The wind goes cross-off, the swell is a solid 12 ft from the south at 10 seconds, and the combined energy is strong (4470). It’s still a bit of a beast, over 8 ft, so this is expert territory only. The afternoon gets lumpy again.

Now, the standout. Wednesday the 19th morning is the pick of the whole outlook. This is a serious groundswell event: 16 ft from the south with a very long 14-second period. The combined energy is massive (15593). The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but the power and length on those waves will be incredible. This is for experienced, big-wave surfers only. The afternoon gets messy with cross-onshore wind.

Thursday the 20th morning is another absolute gem. The swell drops to 10 ft from the south, still with a long 12-second period, but the wind is glassy – dead calm. The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The combined energy is still strong (4293). If you can handle the size, this is the cleanest window of the whole forecast.

After that, it fades. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd have some smaller, cleaner waves (5 ft and 5 ft) with light offshore winds, but the energy is low. From Sunday the 23rd onward, it’s mostly small, weak, and inconsistent with poor conditions. The swell drops to under 3 ft, and the period is all over the place. There’s a small window of clean surf on Monday the 24th, but it’s only 2 ft, so not worth the drive.

So, to boil it down: if you’re an expert, the 19th morning is your big-wave day, and the 20th morning is the cleanest, most powerful swell you’ll see. Otherwise, it’s a long wait for the next decent run.

Rusty.

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