Inch Reefs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. I’ve been staring at the charts for Inch Reefs and, well, we’ve got a long stretch of quiet before anything worth paddling out for shows up. This is a classic case of patience being a virtue.

For the next few days, starting from Tuesday the 28th of July, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a messy 6ft swell from the west, but it’s short-period windswell at only 8 seconds, and the wind is a cross-onshore, making it choppy and poor. The combined energy is moderate at 433, but it’s not doing us any favours. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s slightly pleasant. This junk continues through the week – small, weak, and blown out. The swell drops to near nothing by Thursday and Friday, with energy readings falling into the weak double digits. Honestly, it’s a full blank run until the 2nd of August.

We get a tiny flicker of hope on Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning brings a 4ft swell from the southwest, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy climbs back to a moderate 241. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s only slightly lumpy, but definitely not clean. The score is still a marginal “1”, so it’s not a recommendation, just a tease. The afternoon gets bigger but the wind turns onshore, trashing it again. The rest of the first week of August is more of the same: small, weak, and mostly onshore or cross-onshore.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Look ahead to Saturday the 8th of August. The morning shows a solid 8ft swell from the west, with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which means proper energy. The combined energy is a massive 1528, which is very strong. This is a big, powerful swell, pushing into the expert-only territory. The wind is onshore, which is a shame, but it’s a light breeze. The afternoon holds the same size at 8ft, and the energy jumps to 1695. The wind shifts to a gentle cross-onshore, making it a bit choppy. This is the standout window, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it. That swell direction is a direct west, and Inch Reefs is a point break that loves southwest swell, so this is a bit off-optimum, but the size and power will still create some serious lines.

Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th of August still have decent size, around 6ft to 7ft, with the wind looking better. Monday morning brings a 7ft swell from the west, with energy at 1148, and a clean, cross-offshore wind from the NNW. That’s a major positive. This is the second standout, but again, it’s a week and a half away. After that, it drops off a cliff again into tiny, weak surf.

So, the bottom line: the first week is a total washout. The best on offer is the big, powerful groundswell arriving on the 8th of August, and the cleaner conditions on the 10th of August. Don’t get your hopes up for anything before that. For Inch Reefs, a point break setup, the long-period swell will draw up some nice, lined-up waves, but the size will be challenging for anyone but the experts.

Rusty.

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