Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, Rusty here with a look at what Rock Island is serving up for the next couple of weeks.

Gotta be honest, this isn’t a time to get frothing. We’re looking at a long run of really ordinary, tiny surf. The wave energy is weak for almost the whole period, with numbers barely scraping into triple digits, and a lot of the time sitting below 100 (97). The water temp is a normal 81°F for the time of year, so at least the water’s warm.

Let’s break it down. Monday the 10th is the only time that even gets a nod. Monday morning we have a tiny 2ft south swell, with a decent 11-second period, giving us a weak energy reading of 97. The wind is light and offshore from the NE, so it’ll be clean. It’s weak and small, but it’s the cleanest you’ll see in this whole forecast. Monday afternoon is a touch better, 2ft from the SSW, with a bit more energy (111) and still offshore and clean.

After that, it goes south real quick. From Tuesday the 11th onward, it’s a hard watch. Tuesday morning is 2ft but with cross-offshore wind, and the afternoon turns onshore and ugly. Wednesday the 12th? Tiny stuff with a cross-shore breeze. Poor conditions. Thursday the 13th morning is clean with 2ft south swell, but the energy is weak (57). From there on, it’s just day after day of tiny waves, under 2ft, with a lot of onshore wind, mainly from the SSW and S. The combined swell energy is consistently pathetic, mostly in the 20–70 range. The period sits around 8–11 seconds, which for a reef spot like Rock Island is okay, but the size just isn’t there. By the second week, from the 18th onward, it’s dire. Wednesday the 19th has a moment of glassy conditions in the morning with a 1ft SSW swell, but it’s still gutless.

Don’t even bother with the beach here for paddle surfing in these conditions. With that constant onshore wind and ankle-biters, it’d be more interesting for a kite on a breezy day, but there’s not enough wind or wave for that either.

The only standout, and I use that word loosely, is Monday the 10th. The morning at Rock Island with that light offshore and clean 2ft south swell is your best ticket for a clean, knee-high wave.

This is a pretty typical quiet spell for this spot. It’s not always a total blank, but when the energy drops out like this, you just gotta wait for the next system to roll in. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long, quiet road ahead.

Rusty.

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