Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking straight at what’s on offer for Rock Island. It’s a reef break that’s best with swell from the south, and right now the water is sitting at 80°F, which is about average for this time of year.

Honestly, the first week is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a long gap of flat, windy, or just plain messy conditions. From Friday the 21st all the way through to the morning of Sunday the 23rd, it’s poor – tiny swell, onshore winds, the lot. Saturday the 22nd has a glassy morning but only 1ft of swell, so it’s barely surfable.

We get a bit of a tease on Sunday the 23rd afternoon – glassy conditions again, but only 1.0ft of swell from the southeast with a long 13-second period. That’s groundswell, but it’s too small to do anything with.

Then things finally look like they’re turning around. Monday morning, August 24th is the first real standout. We’ve got clear skies, glassy conditions, and a solid 3ft SSE groundswell with a very long 16-second period. The combined swell energy is sitting at 987 – that’s moderate, but with that period, it’s got some punch. The offshore wind is glass, so it’s going to be clean. Just be aware that with such a long period, those waves might be a bit too straight for a beach break, but this is a reef, so it should line up nicely. This is a good one for intermediate to advanced surfers.

Monday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and picks up to 25 km/h, so that window is short. Tuesday morning the 25th has 4ft of S groundswell, but the wind is onshore again, making it a marginal call.

After that, we’re back into a rough patch. From Tuesday afternoon right through to the end of the month, it’s all onshore wind, with strong breezes up to 28 mph by Friday the 28th, and even some heavy rain. The swell stays small and messy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one.

But hang in there, because the second week has some promise. Thursday morning, September 3rd, looks like a good one. We’ve got a moderate offshore breeze from the NNE at 12 mph, and a 2ft ESE swell with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is 248, which is on the smaller side, but that offshore wind and long period will make for some clean, lined-up waves. Friday morning, September 4th, is similar – 3ft ESE swell with a 14-second period and a gentle offshore breeze. These are both promising, but given they’re more than a week out, don’t lock the dates in just yet.

Saturday the 5th is a bit marginal with rain and stronger offshore winds, but still surfable if you’re keen.

So the real window to aim for is Monday morning August 24th, and then keep an eye on Thursday September 3rd and Friday September 4th.

Rusty

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