The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the Island. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few windows of quality.

The run starts off strong. This Saturday the 15th, the Island is pumping. We've got a solid 7ft groundswell out of the southwest, with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the easterly offshore breeze is keeping it clean all day. The combined swell energy is strong at 1915, and the water temp is sitting at 59°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing weird there. This is world-class reef action for advanced surfers only – that size and power isn't for the faint-hearted. Sunday the 16th stays clean in the morning with a 5ft southwest swell, but it begins to drop off. Monday the 17th also has a clean morning with a good 3ft southwest swell, but the wind shifts cross-offshore in the afternoons and the quality dips.

There’s a bit of a lull mid-week. Tuesday the 18th through Wednesday the 19th is where things go sour. The wind swings onshore and gets messy, so you're better off sitting this one out. The surf quality takes a nosedive.

Then we get a little gem on Thursday the 20th. The morning is glassy with a 5ft southwest groundswell (16 seconds) and combined energy at a solid 900. That's a proper session for the crew who can sneak out mid-week.

Now, the standout window is the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, but especially Saturday the 22nd. The afternoon sees a clean 7ft southwest swell (15 second period) with a gentle cross-offshore breeze, and the combined energy is pumping at 2175. That's excellent for experienced surfers, and it’s the pick of the forecast. Sunday the 23rd is a step down with onshore winds.

The next big one to mark on your calendar is Monday the 24th of August. That morning is a true highlight: 8ft of southwest groundswell at 18 seconds – that's a very long period – and a clean cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is massive at 3880. This is big, powerful, and only for the experts.

After that, it's a long, ugly stretch. From Tuesday the 25th all the way through to Sunday the 30th, the Island gets hammered by strong, onshore winds and a lot of windswell. The wave quality is poor, and the combined energy stays moderate to strong but it's all blown out. From the 25th onwards, it's a write-off for paddle surfing. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing with those strong cross-shore and onshore winds.

So, to sum it up: your best bets are this Saturday the 15th and next Saturday the 22nd, with Monday the 24th being the biggest and most promising, but also the most dangerous. The rest of the window is a long wait for the next clean one.

Rusty.

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