Surf Forecasts:
Inch Reefs surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,296 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Inch Reefs this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Inch Reefs in the next 16 days are 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 12s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inch Reefs over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag for Inch Reefs. There’s some solid swell on the horizon, but the wind’s going to be a pain in the arse for most of it. The water’s sitting at a very unusual 64°, way warmer than we’d expect for this time of year, so at least you won’t need the thickest rubber.
The first few days are basically a write-off. Friday afternoon (28th August) through to Monday morning (31st August) we’ve got next to nothing – swell height is a measly 0.7ft to 3ft, and what little there is has a short period of 6 to 9 seconds. The combined energy is very weak (3 to 168), and the wind is cross-onshore or onshore pretty much the whole time. It’s choppy, messy, and not worth paddling out for.
We get a bit of a pulse from Sunday (30th August) to Tuesday (1st September) with the swell lifting to 5ft to 6ft from the WSW and W, and the period hanging around 8 to 10 seconds. The wave energy picks up into the moderate range (277 to 606). But the wind remains cross-onshore or onshore, so the quality is marginal at best. It’s not a complete flat spell, but you’d be fighting the wind for a so-so wave.
Then from Wednesday (2nd September) right through to the first week of September, the swell gets a bit more grunt, but the wind becomes a real problem. On Wednesday afternoon (2nd September), we’re looking at 7ft from the WSW with a short 7-second period and a solid 16 mph cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (559), but it’s choppy and lumpy. Thursday (3rd September) sees a big spike: a 8ft WNW swell with a 10-second period and a huge combined energy of 1250 – that’s strong wave energy. But with a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore wind, it’s blown out and messy.
Friday (4th September) drops right off again to a tiny 1ft swell, though it has a very long period of 14 seconds. The energy is weak (53), and the wind is still cross-onshore. That long period groundswell would be better for a point or reef, but there’s barely any size and the wind’s no good.
The real standout, and the only time I’d get genuinely excited, is Thursday morning, 10th September. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the SW with a 7-second period. The wind is a light, cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” The combined energy is moderate at 260. It’s not huge, but for this stretch of poor conditions, that offshore wind will make it clean and fun.
Later on Thursday afternoon (10th September), the swell jumps to 6ft from the SW with a longer 10-second period and energy of 569. The wind goes light and cross-shore, so it’s still a decent option, though the tide might play tricks on you.
The second week gets messy again. Friday (11th September) and Saturday (12th September) have some size – 5ft to 8ft – but the wind is strong and often cross-shore or cross-offshore. The Saturday afternoon (12th September) has a 8ft WSW swell with a 9-second period and massive energy of 997. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNW at 19 mph, so it’ll be clean, but that’s a lot of power. Over 8ft and it’s only for the experts. With a beach break setup and that much energy, the kite surfers might be having a better time than the paddle crew.
Overall, if you’re keen, aim for Thursday morning, 10th September. It’s the only time the stars line up for clean, manageable waves at Inch Reefs.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | WNW 7 | S 6 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | W 8 | WSW 9 | WNW 10 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 16 | 3 | 162 | 290 | 606 | 559 | 736 | 499 | 339 | 311 | 263 | 323 | 232 | 306 | 522 | 565 | 387 | 1194 | 58 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:46PM3.46m | 6:10AM3.35m | 6:18PM3.53m | 6:42AM3.40m | 6:51PM3.52m | 7:15AM3.39m | 7:26PM3.45m | 7:51AM3.31m | 8:05PM3.30m | 8:30AM3.17m | 8:48PM3.10m | 9:16AM2.98m | 9:42PM2.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:53PM0.13m | 12:03PM0.30m | 00:24AM0.07m | 12:35PM0.26m | 00:55AM0.08m | 1:08PM0.28m | 1:29AM0.17m | 1:45PM0.37m | 2:06AM0.33m | 2:25PM0.52m | 2:49AM0.55m | 3:14PM0.71m | 3:42AM0.81m | |||||||
— | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | 9 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 10 | W 9 | N 7 | N 6 | N 7 | WNW 8 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 15 |
47 | 16 | 17 | 162 | 290 | 606 | 559 | 736 | 499 | 339 | 22 | 7 | 8 | 232 | 100 | 125 | 61 | 670 | 1194 | 58 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | NNW 6 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | — | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | N 7 | WNW 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | N 9 | N 11 | N 11 |
10 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | — | 107 | 55 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 51 | 37 | 34 | 26 | 38 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | N 5 | S 6 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | — | — | N 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | — | SW 18 | N 12 | SW 15 | N 11 |
3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 25 | — | 13 | 24 | 56 | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 5 | W 4 | — | — | — | NNW 6 | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | SW 7 | WSW 7 | W 8 | WSW 9 | — | WNW 10 |
— | — | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | 115 | — | — | 311 | 263 | 323 | — | 306 | 522 | 565 | 387 | — | 1225 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 549 | 352 | 352 | 178 | 14 | 14 | 78 | 139 | 367 | 14 | 14 | 381 | 15 | 7 | 238 | 788 | 139 | 946 | 565 | 139 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kerry | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Inch Reefs Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Inch Reefs provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Inch Reefs can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Inch Reefs surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Inch Reefs) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Inch Reefs may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Kerry? If you are looking for accommodation near Inch Reefs, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Kerry, consider staying in Fenit which is 18 km (11 miles) away. Other places in and around Kerry where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Tra Li which is 24 km (15 miles) away, Valentia, Bantry and Foynes.











