Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a real mixed bag coming up for Rock Island, and to be honest, the first week or so looks pretty grim. The good news is that there’s a little something brewing way out on the horizon, but you’re gonna need some patience.

Right now, the water temp’s sitting at a pretty standard 76°, so nothing unusual for this time of year. The only real window of opportunity that’s worth paddling out for is a brief moment on Monday morning, July 13th. Early birds might catch a 3ft SSW swell with a nice 13-second period pushing in from the south. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the east at just 3 mph, so it’ll be clean. The combined energy is moderate at 313, and the report says "expect good surf conditions", so that’s the one bright spot in an otherwise bleak first week. After that, it’s a desert.

From Monday afternoon all the way through to Sunday, July 26th, the surf is either tiny, wind-affected, or both. The swell drops to 2ft or less, periods get short and weak, and the wind either blows straight onshore or cross-on. We’re talking combined energy values down in the teens and twenties – weak stuff. The break is a reef set-up, but with that kind of lack of energy, it’s just not going to work. It’s a solid 13-day stretch of nothing worth mentioning.

Now, keep your eyes on Sunday, July 26th. Things start to rattle back to life. The morning brings a 3ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, and the wind swings light cross-offshore from the ENE at 6 mph. The combined energy jumps to 163 – moderate and moving in the right direction. The afternoon pushes that a little further: 3ft SSE swell, 11-second period, same light cross-off wind, and energy up to 188. The report says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions", but honestly, after what we’ve had, that’s a win.

Then Monday, July 27th, is the standout. The morning shows a 3ft SSE swell, a 12-second period, and fresh offshore wind from the NNE at 19 mph. That’s proper clean conditions. The combined energy is 276, which is now solidly moderate. The direction is SSE, which is a good match for the optimum southerly direction for this break. The tide and conditions might be a bit marginal, but for a local reef like Rock Island, that offshore wind is gold. The afternoon builds the wind to 22 mph, still offshore, so it’ll be clean but a bit more of a handful.

After that, Tuesday, July 28th, looks like it gets messy again with onshore wind and rain, so that Monday morning is your best bet. The 27th is the clear winner in this 16-day window, but remember, it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on the updates.

Stay patient, and I’ll see you out there when it turns on.
Rusty

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