The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for The Island. It’s a reef break that’s a bit of a connoisseur’s wave, and it’s been getting some serious energy thrown at it, but the wind’s been a real bastard for the first few days. We’re looking at a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period coming in on Monday afternoon, but that WSW cross-on wind at 25 km/h is making a mess of it. The combined energy is a hefty 3260 (moderate to strong), but with poor surf conditions, it’s a no-go. Tuesday’s a bit bigger again, with an 12ft SW swell, but more cross-on wind and choppy conditions mean it’s still a write-off.

Now, the real turn-around happens on Wednesday the 15th. The swell has dropped to a still-impressive 6ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and the wind swings to a clean offshore from the ENE at 15 km/h. The energy is 1345 (moderate), and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. Then Wednesday afternoon gets even better – the wind goes glassy, zero knots, with a 5ft SW groundswell and 1112 energy. That’s as clean as it gets. This is the standout window. The water temperature is sitting at 60°, which is about 2° cooler than average for this time of year, so nothing too unusual there.

The waves hang around in the 4ft to 5ft range through Thursday and Friday, but the wind is a mix of cross-off and cross-shore, so it’s not as pristine. Still, there’s a decent SW groundswell coming through, and the period stays long at 15–16 seconds, keeping the energy up. The weekend of the 18th and 19th sees the swell drop right off, with only 2ft to 4ft of weak, messy surf and strong winds, so don’t bother.

Looking further ahead, there’s a bit of a pulse on the 22nd and 23rd, but it’s a messy WNW and SW mix with onshore or cross-shore winds and short periods around 10 seconds – not worth the paddle. The next real standout is on the morning of Friday the 24th of July. The swell comes back up to 6ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period, and the wind is glassy from the WNW. The combined energy is 2026 (moderate to strong), and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a promising session, but it’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it. After that, the surf looks inconsistent and wind-affected for the final few days of the window.

The Island is a consistent reef break, so it tends to hold swell well, but it’s an advanced wave, and with crowds sometimes an issue, you’ll want to be on your game. The best bets are clear: Wednesday the 15th for the glassy afternoon session, and Friday the 24th for that long-period groundswell.

Rusty

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