The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Island over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Honestly, the first few days are a write-off. From Sunday the 9th all the way through to Thursday the 13th, it's a complete mess. We're talking strong winds, cross-onshore, and the swell is all over the place. The wave energy is massive, with readings up around 2997 to 4289, but it's all blown out and lumpy. Not worth paddling out for anyone. The swell is hanging around 8ft to 10ft, mostly from the WSW, but with that wind, it's just a washing machine. Even the advanced surfers would be struggling.

Then, things start to turn around. Friday the 14th is where it gets interesting. The wind drops right off, swinging light cross-offshore from the ENE, and the swell settles to a clean 7ft from the SW with a long 16 to 17 second period. That's proper groundswell. The wave energy is strong at 2257 to 2549, but it's clean. This is for experienced surfers only, though – that size and period on a reef break like The Island will be powerful and a bit tricky. The offshore wind is a major positive, so you'll get some beautiful, lined-up waves. Get ready for a bit of a crew, too, as it can get crowded sometimes.

Saturday the 15th is another beauty. The wind is light offshore from the E, and the swell drops a touch to 6ft to 6ft from the SW, still with a long 16 second period. The wave energy is still strong at 1499 to 1784. It's clean, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the standout window of the forecast.

Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are still good, with the swell dropping to 4ft to 4ft, but the wind stays offshore, making for clean, fun waves. The wave energy is moderate at 650 to 766. A bit smaller, but still plenty of fun for the advanced crew.

After that, it fades out. From Tuesday the 18th onwards, the swell drops below 5ft, and the wind turns messy again, with a lot of cross-shore and onshore conditions. The wave energy drops to under 900, and then under 500 by the 21st. There's a bit of a clean window on Thursday the 20th with some small 4ft swell, but it's marginal. The rest of the second week is mostly poor, with a final little blip of 5ft swell on the 23rd, but with onshore wind.

So, to sum it up: the first half of the week is a total loss. The best surf is definitely Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. Get out there for those clean, offshore conditions and that long-period SW groundswell. It’s the real deal for the experienced surfer.

Rusty.

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