Hikkaduwa (A-Frame) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here.

Let me tell you straight up: the next couple of weeks are a rough patch for us here in Hikkaduwa. Looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s really not a single session I’d be excited to paddle out for. We’re looking at a total blank run for the entire forecast period. That’s a long, quiet stretch from now all the way through to Monday the 21st of July, and it honestly doesn’t look like it lets up much after that.

The main issue is the wind. It is relentless from the west, blowing at 12 to 16 mph for most of the period, and on some days even up to 19 mph. The wind state is nearly always cross-onshore or directly onshore, which means the surface is going to be choppy and messy. Even when there’s a pulse of swell, like around Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd, the waves are riding on that onshore chop. There’s one brief moment on Monday the 21st afternoon where the swell height hits 6 ft from the south with a period of 16 seconds, and the combined swell energy spikes up to 2268 (moderate wave energy), but it’s still cross-onshore and the wave comment calls it marginal. That’s about the most interesting it gets, and it’s still not good.

For the first break you might look at, Hikkaduwa (A-Frame) (Sri Lanka), the water temperature is sitting at 83°, which is about average for this time of year. But with the constant westerly wind, this exposed reef is getting hammered. The optimum swell direction is from the southwest, but the winds are never cooperating to give us a clean face. There are some longer-period swells coming in, over 15 seconds, which usually mean more energy and shape, but at a beach and reef setup like this, that long period can make things break too straight when the wind’s junk.

Honestly, with the strong cross-onshore winds and the chop, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at times. There’s just no clean window for a decent surf. A blank run like this isn’t totally unheard of for the area when the tradewinds lock in, but it’s a bummer.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, things can shift, but for now, leave the boards in the bag.

Rusty.

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