Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for Rock Island. We've got a bit of a wait on our hands, but there’s some promise later on.

The next couple of weeks start off real slow. From now through to around the 18th of September, we're looking at a whole lot of nothing. Tiny swell, messy wind, and just poor conditions across the board. It’s a proper flat spell, so don't bother paddling out unless you just want a float.

Things start to stir on the 19th. Saturday morning we see some solid 5ft swell rolling in from the SE with a 13-second period, and the wind is fresh offshore from the north. The combined energy is pushing 800, so there’s some real grunt in the water. It’s a bit on the bigger side for beginners, but for the rest of us, this is where it gets interesting. The standout window is Saturday afternoon though. The swell holds at 5ft, still from the SE, but the period drops just a touch to 12 seconds and the wind goes lighter, a moderate offshore from the NNE. The energy’s still high at 594, and the forecast points to very good surf. This is the pick of the whole run—clean, offshore, and with enough push to get you into some proper ones. Rock Island is a reef setup, and with a long-period groundswell like that, it should handle it well. Crowds can be a thing here sometimes, so get in early.

After that, we get a run of more manageable but still fun waves. Sunday the 20th has 3ft to 4ft SE swell with gentle offshore and cross-off winds. It’s clean, and the energy is moderate at around 268 to 290. Good for a longboard or a funboard. Monday the 21st has a similar story, with 3ft SSW swell in the morning and light offshore winds. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can get away with a spring suit.

We do have a spike on the 22nd of September where the swell jumps to 13ft, but it’s accompanied by onshore wind and short 8-second period. That’s a messy, blown-out mess that’s really only going to appeal to the kite crew. The rest of the month settles back down into small, clean conditions but nothing special.

So, bottom line: sit tight through the first week, then make your move on the 19th for the best of it. The 28th also shows some solid 3ft SE swell with 13-second period and light wind, which is worth a look, but that’s a long way out so keep an eye on it.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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