The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

The Island is the only spot offering any surf in this 16-day window, and it's a real mixed bag. We've got a long period SW groundswell arriving, but the wind is going to be a major player for most of the run. The water temperature is sitting at 60°F, which is dead average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first real chance to get wet starts on Tuesday, 1st September, but it's nothing to write home about. The morning is a write-off with a strong 25 mph N cross-wind creating messy cross-chop on a 4ft SW swell. The afternoon is a different story, with clean 4ft waves under a light W offshore wind, but the wave energy is moderate (868). It's a bit of a tease.

We get a bit of hope on Wednesday, 2nd September. The morning session sees the swell building to 5ft from the SW with a gentler W offshore wind. The energy jumps to moderate (1270), but it's still a marginal call. The afternoon gets messy as the wind picks up to 16 mph.

Thursday, 3rd September, looks ok. The morning has 6ft SW swell with a clean W offshore wind and moderate energy (1329). The afternoon is similar but with a 7ft swell. Still, it's marginal.

Friday, 4th September, is a no-go. The morning is blown out by a 19 mph N cross-wind, and the afternoon is trashed by a strong cross-onshore, despite the moderate 6ft SW swell.

The best potential we see in the first week arrives on Saturday, 5th September. The morning has a solid 10ft SW swell, but it's a cross-onshore wind and the energy is very strong (5550). This is big, powerful swell, and with the wind being a bit messy, it's for experienced surfers only. The afternoon is better with the wind dropping to a light 6 mph, but still cross-onshore and the swell drops to 8ft. It's a standout window for the big wave crew.

Sunday, 6th September, is a bit of a head-scratcher. The morning has a clean 6ft SW swell thanks to a strong 22 mph NE cross-offshore wind. The energy is moderate (1458), but that wind is a problem. The afternoon is a loss.

The week of the 8th is where it gets interesting. Tuesday, 8th September, shows a massive pulse of energy. The morning has an 12ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period and very strong energy (12317). The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it's messy but for a powerful, heavy reef break like The Island, that's a serious session. This is for experts only.

Wednesday, 9th September, is cleaner. The morning has a 7ft SW swell with a light cross-wind, and the afternoon is clean with a cross-offshore breeze and a 7ft swell. Good quality.

Thursday, 10th September, is a standout. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore NE wind and a 6ft SW swell. The energy is moderate (1216), but the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers.

The week of the 14th looks promising for a different reason. Monday, 14th September, has clean conditions. The morning has a 4ft WSW swell with a clean offshore E wind and low energy (458). The afternoon is better with a 3ft SW swell, clean cross-offshore wind and moderate energy (650). Expect very good surf conditions.

Tuesday, 15th September, has a 6ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period and a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong (2249). This is a nice, clean swell.

Finally, Wednesday, 16th September, is a great way to finish. The morning has a 4ft SW swell with a clean offshore E wind and moderate energy (869). Expect very good surf conditions.

Overall, the best bet is the Saturday, 5th September, when the big SW groundswell arrives, but it's a big-wave day. The other standout is the Thursday, 10th September, when the conditions are clean and the swell is solid. The long-range stuff from 14th to 16th looks clean and fun, but it's less certain.

Rusty.

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