Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on Rock Island. It’s a reef break that needs a south swell to light up, and it’s exposed to it. The water is sitting at 80°, which is dead average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about.

We kick off with the first surfable window on Friday the 7th of August. The morning has a 5ft southerly swell with a 13-second period, which is a nice groundswell. The energy is moderate at 962. The wind is a light cross-on from the SSE at 6 mph, so it’s a little bumpy. It’s rideable, but it’s not blowing the doors off.

Saturday the 8th is a step down. The morning shows a 4ft southerly swell, but the wind is onshore at 12 mph, so it’s choppy. The energy drops to 324. The afternoon is worse with the same onshore wind and 3ft surf. Not worth suiting up.

Sunday the 9th is a tease. The morning has a 2ft SSW swell, but the wind is glassy from the east at 3 mph. It’s as clean as a whistle, but the waves are tiny. The energy is only 151. The afternoon goes onshore again.

From Monday the 10th right through to Friday the 21st of August, it’s a long, flat stretch. The swell drops from 2ft down to a pathetic 0.7ft. The wind is often offshore and clean, but with waves that small, you’re just floating around. The energy drops into the double digits, which is weak as dishwater. There’s a tiny blip on the morning of the 16th with a 2ft SSW swell and 126 energy, but it’s still just knee-high.

The one and only standout in this whole 16-day run is the very end. On Saturday the 22nd of August, we finally get a pulse. The morning has a 2ft southerly swell with an 11-second period, and the energy climbs to 153. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NE at 9 mph. The afternoon is even better: the swell holds at 2ft, but the wind goes directly offshore from the NE. That’s clean, glassy faces. For a reef break, an offshore wind and a bit of south swell is the best you’ll get. Crowds are just a possibility, so you might snag a few waves alone.

So, the bottom line: there’s a massive gap of almost two weeks of poor to flat surf. The only real window to get excited about is that Saturday the 22nd. It’s not a bomb, but it’s the cleanest and most fun stretch on offer. Keep your board handy.

Rusty.

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