Rock Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Rock Island has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, the surf forecast kicks off with a little pulse of clean swell, but it’s gonna be a short-lived window before things turn pretty ordinary for a good stretch. The session to circle is Wednesday morning, July 8th.

Tuesday July 7th is a bit of a tease. The morning has a 2ft SSE swell, period right around 15 seconds, with a light offshore breeze from the NE. It'll be clean, but the combined wave energy is moderate at 291, meaning it's not going to have much punch. It’s a solid beginner option, but the standout is the afternoon. At 3ft from the SSE with that same long 15-second period, the wind goes cross-offshore from the E, making for some surprisingly clean lines at that size. The combined energy gets up to a moderate 518, so there's a bit more life in the water. That afternoon session is the real quality option for the early period.

Now, Wednesday morning July 8th is the highlight of the whole 16-day run. Swell size bumps to 5ft from the SSE, with a very long 16-second period. With a light cross-offshore breeze from the E, the conditions are going to be pristine, glassy, and clean. The wave energy is a solid 1094, giving it plenty of grunt. That classic long-period groundswell will be wrapping in nicely, but be aware it's a fairly consistent break, so the better shaped waves will be lining up. This is definitely the pick for experienced surfers.

Unfortunately, that’s it for the good stuff for a while. From Wednesday afternoon onwards, the wind swings onshore and the quality goes downhill fast. After the 22nd of July, the swell drops off and we go into a long stretch of poor conditions. The waves stay small and onshore all through the second week and into the third, with only a few small, messy options. The combined swell energy drops from a strong 1676 on Friday morning July 10th down to very weak levels in the following days, often under 100. There’s no real quality or consistency here. It's a long dry spell that looks more like a kiteboarding session than a paddle-surfing one.

There’s a glimmer of possibility right at the end. The final days of the forecast show a small, clean pulse on Tuesday morning July 22nd. We're looking at 4ft from the S with a long 14-second period, and the wind looks like it could go glassy from the NE. The combined energy is a moderate 702. At this range, keep your expectations in check, but it’s something to watch.

Overall, the water is sitting around 75°F, which is right about average for this time of year, so no worries there.

So, for the best surf, get on it Wednesday morning, July 8th at Rock Island. It’s a reef break that's fairly consistent, and with those offshore winds and that long-period swell, it’ll be firing. After that, the waiting game begins.

Rusty.

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