Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for Rock Island over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, we’ve got a run of surf coming up, but it’s not all clean sailing. The first few days look promising, but we’ll need to pick our windows carefully. The best of the swell is Tuesday, August 5th through Thursday, August 6th, with some solid, long-period groundswell rolling in. After that, the energy slowly fades and we’re looking at a real drop-off toward the end of the second week.

The water’s sitting at 83°F with a 3°F anomaly, so it’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year on the first mention.

Tuesday, August 4th – We kick off with a clean morning. Swell is 5ft from the SE, with a period of 17 seconds – that’s proper long-period groundswell, which means it’ll be a bit more lined up at a reef like Rock Island. Combined energy is strong (1098). Wind is a fresh offshore from the NE at 19 mph, so it’s gonna be clean. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 6ft (SE, 16s) and the energy jumps to 1467, but the wind goes cross-off, so it’s still okay but not quite as pristine.

Wednesday, August 5th – This is the standout. Morning has 7ft from the SSE (15s) with a big energy reading of 2228, and a fresh NNE offshore at 19 mph. That’s clean, powerful, and lined up. The afternoon holds 8ft (SSE, 15s) and even higher energy at 2479, with a moderate cross-off. This is a solid day for experienced surfers – the size is getting up there, so beginners might find it a bit much.

Thursday, August 6th – Another good morning. 7ft from the SSE (14s), energy at 1623, and a moderate offshore from the NE at 12 mph. It’s clean and the swell is still solid. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a light cross-onshore from the SE and the swell shifts to 7ft from the S (14s), energy at 2047, but it’s not as clean.

Friday, August 7th – Swell drops a touch to 7ft (S, 14s) in the morning, with a gentle cross-off from the E (9 mph). It’s rideable, but energy is still high (2091). The afternoon gets cross-shore and choppy with rain showers, so not ideal.

Saturday, August 8th – Morning is the pick of the weekend. Swell drops to 5ft (S, 14s) with a light cross-off from the E (6 mph). Clean enough, and energy is 1193. The afternoon turns cross-onshore and choppy, so definitely a morning session.

Sunday, August 9th to Monday, August 11th – Swell continues to drop. Sunday morning has 4ft (SSW, 14s) with a gentle cross-off, energy 862. It’s okay but nothing special. Monday has a fresh offshore but the swell is only 3ft (SSW, 16s) and fading. The energy is down to 538. Tuesday morning, August 11th, is still surfable with 3ft (SSW, 14s) and a moderate offshore, but it’s small.

Wednesday, August 12th onward – This is where it gets rough. From Wednesday morning, the swell drops below 3ft, winds go onshore, and the energy readings fall into the double digits and low hundreds. August 12th and 13th are poor, with onshore winds and tiny swell. From August 14th through to the 19th, it’s a real struggle – waves are below 3ft, mostly onshore or cross-shore, and the combined energy is between 67 and 244. That’s a big gap with no real recommendations. The shape is gone, and the conditions are just messy.

The standout: Without a doubt, Wednesday, August 5th morning is the best on offer. That 7ft SSE swell with a 15-second period, fresh offshore wind, and huge energy (2228) is gonna be firing at Rock Island. It’s a reef break, so that long period will work well. Just be aware it’s a bit of a crowd magnet – it’s listed as “sometimes” busy, so get in early.

For the second week, there’s nothing that stands out. The swell is too small, and the wind is mostly onshore. It’s a quiet period.

Stay safe, pick your windows, and I’ll be back with the next one.

Rusty.

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