The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what The Island has in store. It's a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks, but there are definitely some windows of clean glass to get excited about.

We’re starting off on Thursday the 23rd of July, but honestly, you can sleep in. The wind is a messy cross-shore, and while there’s a solid 7ft SW swell, the conditions are just too choppy to be any fun. The afternoon stays pretty ugly too, with about 7ft of SW swell but still that cross-chop from the S wind. The combined energy of all swells directed here is very strong (1623), but without clean conditions, it’s not doing us any favours. The water temperature feels about average for this time of year.

Friday the 24th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning is looking prime with a nice 6ft SW swell and a light SE wind that’s slightly offshore, making for clean, lined-up waves. The energy is still pumping (1443) and the 15-second period means proper groundswell with some punch – this is the standout window of the early run. The afternoon holds a smaller 5ft, but the wind swings to a light cross-shore chop, so aim for that morning session.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th take a dive. Swell drops right away, and we get onshore and cross-onshore winds kicking up a mess. The energy plummets to (375) by Saturday arvo and stays low. Not worth the paddle.

Monday the 27th is more of the same – weak, choppy, and ugly with swell barely hitting 3ft.

Now, here's the next real window. Tuesday the 28th of July sees a jump back in swell to 6ft in the morning, with very light cross-shore breezes. It's not perfect, but there’s a big improvement. The afternoon pushes 7ft from the SW, though the wind turns cross-onshore, so the morning is the pick.

Best Bet of the whole run: Wednesday the 29th of July. Morning session is a no-brainer. You’ve got a clean 6ft SW groundswell, a 12 mph E offshore wind grooming it, and the energy is pumping at (1603). This is the one for experienced surfers – that combination of size, direction, and clean offshore wind is hard to beat. The afternoon stays solid (6ft) and clean with a cross-offshore breeze.

Thursday the 30th is still fun with a smaller 5ft SW swell and gentle ENE offshore winds in the morning. Clean, easy vibes.

We then roll into a run of smaller, cleaner days. Friday the 31st, the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August, and into Monday the 3rd all offer surfable swell between 3ft and 5ft, mostly from the SW. Winds are generally light to moderate and offshore or cross-offshore, so conditions are tidy. The crowd factor at The Island is worth a mention – it can get busy, especially on these cleaner days, so plan accordingly.

Tuesday the 4th of August is another write-off with onshore winds and poor waves.

A late wildcard pops up on Wednesday the 5th of August. Only 3ft to 3ft of swell, but check the period: 19 seconds. That’s a seriously long-period groundswell from the SW. The combined energy is still moderate (1066). For a reef setup like The Island, this could produce some unusually long, rolling lines, but it will be very inconsistent. Keep an eye on the tide.

The run ends with a solid 5ft SW swell on Thursday the 6th of August and a clean 4ft on Friday the 7th, but that Friday does come with a 22 mph cross-offshore wind, so it’ll be a battle to get out back.

In short: The first standout is Friday the 24th morning, but the absolute pick of the entire forecast is Wednesday the 29th of July. It’s all about that clean offshore wind and solid SW groundswell at The Island.

Rusty.

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