Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a tough stretch. The swell shows up, but the wind and weather are gonna be fighting us for most of it. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf ahead, with only a few moments that are even worth getting wet for.

Right now, through the end of August, it’s looking pretty flat and messy. We’ve got a small SW bump pushing in around Friday morning the 28th, but it’s short-period, only about 4ft at 6 seconds, and just ordinary conditions. Not worth getting excited about. The rest of that weekend and into the start of next week just fades away, with tiny waves and cross-onshore breezes. There’s a real gap in quality action from now until we get into the second week of September.

We finally see some size start to build but it’s along with a bad case of onshore winds. That stretch from the 2nd through the 4th of September sees the swell jump up, with the energy climbing from a moderate 183 all the way to a strong 545 by the afternoon of the 3rd. But it’s all blown out and messy. Then from the 4th into the 5th, it gets serious. We’re looking at 7ft to 8ft of short-period S/SSW swell, with combined energy skyrocketing into the 1000s and 1446. This is definitely expert-only or even borderline out of control, and with that strong breeze and t-storm risk, this looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The one real window of opportunity worth pointing at is the morning of Saturday, the 5th of September. The wind finally swings offshore, a moderate NNE breeze, and it cleans up the 3ft of S swell at 9 seconds. The energy is a moderate 219. It’s a far cry from perfect, but it’s the first time the wind isn’t completely ruining it. Rock Island (Big Island) is a reef break, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot that is fairly consistent, though sometimes crowded, so maybe you’ll get some waves to yourself. But honestly, this is the best of a bad bunch.

After that, we slide back into poor conditions, and then the second week brings a big, angry swell. By the 7th and 8th of September, we’re looking at 7ft to 8ft of S swell, with combined energy readings of 1496 and then a massive 2079. There’s a storm risk and a near-gale wind on the 8th. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s completely unsurfable. That’s a week out, so we can hope the forecasts change, but right now, it doesn’t look good.

We end the outlook on the 11th of September with, you guessed it, more small and poor surf. There is a moment on the morning of the 11th with a glassy, light ESE wind and 3ft of S swell, but it’s just ordinary. The water temperature is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 83°, which is a small comfort.

So, to sum it up: Don't get your hopes up for the next couple of weeks. You have a pick of the litter on Saturday morning, the 5th of September, but it’s not a classic. The rest is waiting for the ocean to settle down.

Rusty out.

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