Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into what’s on the menu for Rock Island.

Alright, I’ll level with ya—this stretch isn’t looking like one for the memory books. We’ve got a whole heap of days where the swell is just too small and the wind is messing with things. The first real sniff of anything worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Sunday morning, September 6th. That’s a solid week of flat or poor conditions to sit through before we get anything rideable.

So, come Sunday the 6th, early doors, we’ve got a little pulse of swell—2 ft from the SE at 8 seconds. That’s short-period, so it’ll be a bit weak and wonky, but the wind is glassy. Dead flat, no ripples—that’s a big positive. The combined energy is weak (82), so you’ll be hunting for the few that stand up. Rock Island is a reef setup, exposed to the south, and it’s fairly consistent, but this is a day for the small-wave kit. Water temp feels average for this time of year, nothing wild going on.

If you’re a beginner, that glassy window on Sunday the 6th morning is your best bet—it’s small, clean, and forgiving. The crowds can pop up here sometimes, so you might have a few for company.

After that, the swell tries to bump a little mid-week but the wind turns onshore and bloody strong. By Friday the 11th of September, we get a decent offshore wind from the NNE—25 km/h—and a clean surface, but the swell is only 2 ft from the SE with a long period of 13 seconds. That long period (over 11 seconds) means better shaped waves, but at a beach or reef it can break a bit straight. Energy is moderate (103). It’s surfable but nothing to call home about. Saturday the 12th goes backwards again with the same offshore wind but even smaller swell.

Honestly, the standout window is that glassy Sunday morning on the 6th, and maybe a small window on Friday the 11th if you’re desperate. It’s a lean couple of weeks—hang in there.

Rusty.

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