Inch Reefs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down for Inch Reefs. It’s a bit of a slow start, then a few moments of clean, tiny surf, and then a couple of massive swells that might be more than this spot can handle.

Right now, the water is 65°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – about 4° above normal, so you’ll be fine in a shorty or even a spring suit.

The forecast kicks off with a stretch of small, weak, and messy surf. From Monday the 17th through the end of the week, it’s mostly tiny waves, often under 3 feet, with poor conditions. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore for most of it, and the combined swell energy is low. By Thursday afternoon, the wind turns cross-offshore from the north, cleaning things up, but the swell is still tiny – 1 to 2 feet, with short periods around 8 to 10 seconds. It’s clean, but barely surfable.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see a slight improvement. The swell stays small – around 1 feet – but the period stretches out to 14-15 seconds, which is a nice long-period groundswell. The wind is light, offshore, and conditions are clean. But the energy is still low, so it’s not going to be a standout. It’s a window for a longboard if you’re patient.

Monday the 24th is similar – tiny, clean, low energy.

Then things get interesting on Tuesday the 25th. The morning brings a big jump: 10 feet of swell from the WSW with a 10-second period. The combined energy hits 1632 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is light and cross-onshore, but the forecast says the swell is too big for this break. At 10 feet, this is expert territory, and Inch Reefs is a point break that might not handle that size well. The afternoon drops to 7 feet, still powerful, but the wind is onshore and the conditions are questionable.

Wednesday the 26th drops right back down to small, messy surf.

But hold on – Thursday the 27th morning shows 4 feet from the SW with a short 7-second period, clean cross-off wind, and moderate energy. Then the afternoon goes huge again: 10 feet from the west, 8-second period, clean conditions, and 1134 energy. Again, too big. Friday the 28th morning is even bigger: 12 feet from the west, 10-second period, 2407 energy – very strong wave energy. The wind is onshore but the note says the tide and wind are favorable, but the swell is too big. This is expert-only, and even then, Inch Reefs might not be the place.

The rest of the run into September is a mix of smaller, choppy, or onshore conditions, with a couple of moderate swells but poor wind.

If I had to call out a true standout, it’s hard. The biggest swells are just too big. The best bet for a decent, clean wave would be early on Sunday the 23rd morning – 1 feet from the SW, 14-second period, light offshore north wind, clean conditions. It’s small, but it’s the best quality on offer. The combined energy is only 79, so it’s weak, but the long period and clean face make it surfable.

Overall, there’s a long gap of poor surf from the start until the 23rd, then a few days of clean but tiny waves, then a couple of huge swells that are too big. The second week is a bit of a write-off for quality. Keep an eye on things, but don’t expect much.

Rusty.

Read more