Inch Reefs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let’s get into it. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our patch.

Honestly, the outlook for the next 16 days is a bit of a tough one. We’ve got a real mixed bag of conditions, and the magic window is going to be hard to find. The main issue is that the wind is often from the wrong quarter, messing up what could be some decent pulses of swell.

Let’s start with what we’ve got. The standout in the lineup is Inch Reefs. This is an exposed point break, advanced only, and it’s fairly consistent. The optimum swell direction for it is from the SW, and we do see some of that in the forecast.

The water temperature is reading at 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice little bonus if you’re going in without a thick suit.

We kick off the period with a long, flat run. From Thursday the 6th right through the weekend, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. Tiny swell, poor conditions, and cross/onshore winds. Not worth paddling for. The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday morning, August 10th. We’ve got a small 4 ft swell from the W, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak (146), but the real kicker is the wind: it’s glassy. That’s a major positive. The catch? The wave comment says it’s “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not going to be pretty, but it’ll be the cleanest thing we’ve seen in days. After that, it gets messy again.

We see a steady increase in swell size through the middle of the month, but the wind is almost always on it. By Wednesday, August 12th, we get a 5 ft swell from the SW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (386). But the wind is a cross-onshore from the SSE, and the conditions are described as poor. Frustrating.

The biggest swells of the whole period hit the end of the second week. On Wednesday, August 19th, we’re looking at a 10 ft W swell with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is massive (2101). That’s a serious amount of water moving. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the WSW at 12 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. For a point break, that’s going to be a messy, powerful beast. Only for the experts. As the swell drops to 8 ft on the 20th, the wind is still cross-onshore (1084 energy). It’s a classic case of the swell and wind not lining up.

The conditions are so consistently poor that for most of the period, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The wind is often strong enough and cross-onshore, which is great for them, but terrible for a clean wave face.

So, to sum it up: The one standout is that glassy Monday morning, August 10th, at Inch Reefs. It’s small, but it’s your only chance for a clean, uncrowded (sometimes) session in the near term. The big swells in the second week are powerful but blown out. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because right now, it’s a waiting game. A blank run like this isn’t totally abnormal for the area, but it usually doesn’t stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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