Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Morning, folks. Rusty here, looking at the next stretch for Rock Island. I'm not going to lie to you, the first week and a bit is looking pretty grim. We're staring down the barrel of a long, flat spell. From now until the middle of next week, there’s just nothing on the table. The swell is tiny, the periods are short, and it’s just not worth getting the hopes up. We’re looking at a solid run of poor surf, with the combined energy readings stuck in the weak range (67 to 7). It’s one of those times where the ocean just needs to reset.

The only blip in this quiet period is a touch of energy on Wednesday the 10th. We’ve got a 3ft south swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and the energy is still weak (142). The wind is offshore though, which is nice, but it’s just not enough push to make it interesting. It’s a definite pass.

Now, if you can hold your patience, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We’re looking at the Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd as the only real standouts in this entire 16-day window. This is where it gets interesting.

The main event kicks off Monday morning, September 21st. We’ve got a proper groundswell filling in from the southeast, with a size of 4ft and a period of 16 seconds. That’s a very long period, so it’s going to have some serious push and shape to it. The energy readings are strong, hitting 1036, which tells you there’s a lot of water moving. The wind is fresh offshore from the north-northeast, and Rock Island is a reef break, so it should be holding that swell really well. This is the pick of the week, without a doubt. The setup looks far more interesting for paddle surfing than for kites.

The following afternoon, Monday the 21st, the swell builds a bit more to 5ft from the southeast with the same long 16-second period. The energy is very strong at 1357. The caveat here is the wind swings around to a light cross-onshore, which will introduce a few ripples, but it's a slight air, so it won't ruin it. This is solidly in the expert realm at this size and period on a reef.

Tuesday the 22nd will still have some decent size, with 4ft of south-east swell on a 15-second period. The energy is still strong (765). It’s not as clean with that cross-onshore breeze, but it’s still worth a look if you missed Monday.

Beyond that, things fade back out pretty quickly. The period drops, the size shrinks, and we’re back to the flatness. It looks like a one-hit wonder, so if you can, make the most of that Monday the 21st.

Rusty, out.

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