Inch Reefs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Inch Reefs. I’ve got to be straight with you—this is a tough run. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off. There’s no standout session, no hidden gem hiding in the data. The first real chance to even think about a paddle doesn’t appear until Saturday 22 August, and even then, it’s barely worth getting wet for.

The overall pattern is grim. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, short-period windswell or near-flat conditions, hammered by cross-onshore winds most days. The first few days from Tuesday 18 August through Friday 21 August are all sub-3ft rubbish with nasty wind, so don’t bother. The water temp at Inch Reefs is sitting at 65°, which is about 4° warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s a notable anomaly, but it’s not enough to make up for the lack of surf.

Saturday 22 August morning brings a whisper of hope: offshore wind from the NE at 6 mph, clean conditions, but the swell is only 1ft from the SW with a 15-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s tiny. The combined energy is just 82 (weak), and the data says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s a point break here at Inch Reefs, so that long period might line up okay, but with that size, you’re on a foamie or a log. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so you might have company for the knee-high dribble.

Sunday 23 August morning is similar—offshore NE breeze at 3 mph, glassy clean, but still only 1ft from the SW at 14 seconds. Combined energy 65 (weak). Again, “surfable but very ordinary.” This is the best on offer, and it’s not saying much.

Then we get another blank patch. Monday 24 August is cross-onshore junk. Tuesday 25 August morning sees a pulse of 8ft from the SW at 9 seconds—that’s too big for beginners and only for experts, but the wind is cross-on from the SSE at 9 mph, making it choppy. Combined energy jumps to 993 (strong), but the quality is “marginal.” That’s a big, messy, short-period swell on a point break—not ideal. After that, it’s back to tiny, weak, or onshore slop through to the end of the window on 2 September. There’s a couple of clean afternoons with cross-off wind on 30 August and 31 August, but the swell is 1ft to 4ft—again, nothing to get excited about.

So, the honest truth: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The best you can do is a clean, tiny glass-off on the 22nd or 23rd morning. If you’re desperate for a paddle, go then. Otherwise, the forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this poor for long, but right now, this is a lean stretch.

Rusty.

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