Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get the lowdown on Rock Island.

First off, it’s a quiet start. We’re looking at a long dry patch with no real surf to speak of. The first time you’ll want to wet a line isn’t until Tuesday the 1st of September. That’s nearly a week of nothing worth chasing. The early days are all onshore wind and puny, messy energy. There’s a little blip on the 27th of August where the wind goes glassy with a clean 0.5 ft wave, but it’s small and ordinary. Not worth the drive.

Things finally start to cook as we hit September. The real gold is the window from the afternoon of Monday the 7th of September into Tuesday the 8th, and the morning of Wednesday the 9th. The best of the bunch is Monday the 7th afternoon. You’ve got a clean 4-5 ft SSE groundswell with a nice long 12-second pulse, and the wind is blowing offshore from the NE. That’s the recipe for clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is solid at 565 (moderate wave energy), and the forecast is for very good surf. That’s your standout session.

As we roll into Tuesday the 8th, the morning swell hits around 5 ft. That’s starting to get serious. The wind stays offshore but it’s a stronger 16 mph breeze. The swell period holds at 12 seconds, so it’s got plenty of punch. For an exposed reef like this, that SSE direction works, but that size is for the seasoned surfers only. The afternoon settles back to a very clean 4 ft.

Then Wednesday the 9th morning is the biggest push of the run, with a 5-6 ft south swell and a longer 13-second period. The combined energy jumps to 1038 (strong wave energy). This is big, heavy groundswell. It’s going to be a serious day at the reef—experts only. There’s some rain showers around, but the offshore wind keeps it from getting ugly. It’s a marginal call due to the size, but the quality is there for the brave.

Water temp is around 82°F, which is normal for the season, so it’s comfortable without a suit.

Keep in mind, Rock Island is a reef break that breaks fairly consistently, but it can get crowded sometimes. With this quality, you’ll have company.

So, the plan is simple: sit tight through the first week, then lock in on the afternoon of the 7th through the morning of the 9th of September. The 7th arvo is your top pick.

Rusty.

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