Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Rock Island for the next couple of weeks.

The good news is, we’ve got a solid run of surf coming, but you’ve gotta be patient. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, with some small, weak leftovers on Sunday the 2nd. The swell energy is low (107) and the wind is messy, so it’s not worth paddling out for.

Things start to get interesting from Monday the 3rd. We’ve got a building southerly groundswell with a very long period of 19 seconds pushing in. The wave height is still small at 3 ft, but the energy is ramping up (615) and the wind is offshore and clean. It’s a bit marginal, but the signs are there.

The real standout kicks off on Wednesday the 5th of August. This is the one to circle. We’re looking at a solid 8 ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is pumping at 3745, and we’ve got a moderate offshore breeze from the NNE keeping things clean. The water temperature is about average for the time of year. This is proper, powerful groundswell, and it’s going to be breaking cleanly at Rock Island reef. This is for experienced surfers only – 8 ft is not for the faint-hearted. The morning of the 5th is also good, but the afternoon is the pick with the lighter winds.

Thursday the 6th keeps the quality going. Another 8 ft day, this time from the S, with a light cross-offshore breeze in the afternoon. The energy is still massive (3314), and it’s going to be clean. Friday the 7th morning is still firing with a 7 ft S swell, but the wind swings onshore in the afternoon, so get your session in early.

The swell drops off through the weekend, but Saturday the 8th is still a good option. The morning has a 5 ft SSW swell and offshore wind, but the afternoon is a real treat getting glassy conditions with a 5 ft SSW swell. That’s a great window for some fun, clean waves.

After that, the surf goes quiet for a long stretch. From the 9th of August right through, the swell drops to under 3 ft, and the energy fades. There’s a brief, tiny window on the 13th and 15th with some small waist-high waves and clean conditions, but it’s really just a chance to get wet if you’re desperate. The 15th morning has a glassy 3 ft SE swell, but it’s weak.

So, to wrap it up: The best surf of the whole 16-day window is Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th of August. Big, powerful swell, clean offshore winds, and solid energy. It’s a reef break, so it’s gonna be a show. Get on it if you’ve got the skills.

Rusty.

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