Inch Reefs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a seat, ladies and gents. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks. Honestly? It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some true gold buried under a lot of ordinary.

The big story is that huge pulse of swell due in at Inch Reefs on Tuesday the 22nd of September and into Wednesday the 23rd. That’s the standout, but it comes with a serious caveat. The *best* quality in the window, though, might just be the glassy conditions late in the month.

The water is sitting at 62°F right now, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year—a nice little bonus if you’re in the water on any of the good days.

Let’s run it down chronologically.

The first few days are a write-off. We’ve got nothing on offer until Tuesday the 15th, but that’s a washout thanks to a blustery 19 mph cross-shore and a lumpy, cross-choppy mess. From Wednesday the 16th right through to Monday the 21st of September, it’s just poor surf conditions. There’s a lot of cross-onshore wind and not much to get excited about. You’re looking at a solid week of flat or junky surf.

Things get interesting on Tuesday the 22nd of September. The morning brings a clean 6 ft swell from the west with an 11-second period and light cross-shore winds. The energy is already packing a punch at 1239. But the real event is the Tuesday afternoon. We are looking at a massive 10 ft groundswell from the west with a very long 15-second period. The combined energy is a massive 3396. That’s a lot of water moving. The wind goes light and cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean. However, this is an advanced spot for a reason. At over 8 ft, this is strictly for experts; that’s too big for the average punter. The long period will make it wall up and stand tall on the reef, but it might be a little too straight for the beachies.

After that round of excitement, the swell backs off, but the quality improves. Saturday the 26th of September is your sneaky pick. Saturday morning is absolute gold: glassy conditions, a clean 5 ft swell from the west-southwest with an 11-second period, and enough energy (660) to give you a proper push. That’s “very good surf conditions” right there. The Saturday afternoon is even cleaner, with a 4 ft swell from the west, a long 16-second period, and light offshore wind. The energy (1304) is solid, making it “excellent for experienced surfers.” This might be the best combination of size and perfection in the whole 16 days.

Sunday the 27th stays rideable but gets a bit tricky with onshore wind and a drop in quality, then the following week reverts to flatness and poor conditions right through the end of the month.

The Standout: No contest, Tuesday the 22nd afternoon is the biggest, most powerful swell. But it’s only for the hardcore crew at a top-tier wave like Inch Reefs. For the best *all-round* session with clean waves and no crowd-killing wind? Saturday the 26th of September is the day to circle. Glassy, waist-to-head-high sets, and clean. Don’t sleep on it.

Stay wet, stay salty.
Rusty.

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