Surf Forecasts:
Inch Reefs surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SW swell with 1,574 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Inch Reefs this week:
The surf forecast for Inch Reefs over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Inch Reefs in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inch Reefs over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf at Inch Reefs. We’ve got a week of mostly nothing to start, with tiny waves and poor conditions. It’s not until the 24th that we see any sort of pulse, and even then, it’s a mess. The real windows are short and far from perfect, so you gotta pick your moments.
To be honest, Monday the 24th is where it starts to get interesting. The swell jumps up to 8ft from the W with a 10-second period, and the energy reading hits a strong 1223. That’s a solid push of power, the first real sign of life. But the wind is onshore and moderate, so it’s going to be lumpy and hard to manage. It’s a far cry from clean, but it’s the first time the ocean actually has some weight behind it. That is a surfable, albeit challenging, wave for the experienced crew.
The next morning, Tuesday the 25th, the swell is still there at 6ft from the WSW, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. It’s not going to be pretty, and the score reflects that. If you’re desperate, there’s waves, but don’t expect any kind of quality.
We’ve got a bit of a dead spell again after that. Highlights are few and far between. But if you’re willing to wait it out, the end of the month, around Saturday the 29th, brings another big pulse. We’re looking at 8ft from the WNW with the energy roaring back up to 1151. That’s a serious amount of water moving. But again, the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a lumpy, powerful beast. This is not for the faint of heart.
Monday the 31st, we see the biggest swell of the whole period. The morning shows 8ft, but by the afternoon, we’re looking at a solid 10ft from the W. This is well into expert-only territory with the wind on it. It’s going to be a heavy, messy day.
The first of September keeps the size up, around 8ft, but the conditions are still marginal. The light winds on the first afternoon might give a brief window of cleaner surf, but the swell period drops to 8 seconds, which is a bit short and won’t have the same grunt or shape.
So, what’s the pick? Honestly, there isn't a classic day here. It’s a period of size and power but almost always accompanied by onshore or cross-onshore winds. For a point break like Inch Reefs, which needs a good swell direction, we’re seeing a lot of west in the mix, which is not its ideal SW direction. If I had to say, the strongest, most powerful swells are around the 24th and the 29th through the 1st. It’ll be big, it’ll be heavy, and it’ll be for experts only. We might get lucky with a short clean window when the wind drops, but I wouldn't book the time off work for it.
Keep in mind, the water temp at the start of this run is 65°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a positive, at least.
It’s a frustrating run, but that’s the coast for you. It won't stay flat forever.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Tue night, fresh winds from the NNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 10 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 24 | 61 | 21 | 54 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 30 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 51 | 36 | 1072 | 944 | 468 | 266 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:48AM2.80m | 10:09PM2.65m | 10:37AM2.58m | 11:09PM2.42m | 11:44AM2.42m | 00:32AM2.29m | 1:11PM2.39m | 2:02AM2.33m | 2:29PM2.51m | 3:08AM2.50m | 3:24PM2.71m | 3:54AM2.70m | 4:05PM2.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:45PM0.94m | 4:08AM1.04m | 4:43PM1.16m | 5:13AM1.26m | 6:10PM1.29m | 6:48AM1.35m | 7:47PM1.25m | 8:14AM1.27m | 8:54PM1.08m | 9:11AM1.09m | 9:41PM0.86m | 9:52AM0.89m | 10:19PM0.64m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WSW 10 | WNW 6 | WSW 9 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 |
25 | 24 | 61 | 923 | 367 | 188 | 98 | 37 | 30 | 21 | 26 | 60 | 20 | 15 | 45 | 508 | 628 | 1072 | 944 | 468 | 266 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 15 | WSW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | WSW 9 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | NW 11 | NW 10 |
— | — | — | 21 | 46 | 39 | 39 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 55 | 55 | 51 | 51 | 27 | 25 | 36 | 34 | 34 | 42 | 47 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 15 | SW 12 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 8 | SW 12 | NW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
— | — | — | — | 54 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 56 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 52 | 51 | 14 | 6 | 23 | 16 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | S 5 | SSE 6 | NW 5 | — |
1345 | 1596 | 2143 | 1378 | 844 | 323 | 147 | 214 | 167 | 57 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | 71 | 176 | 45 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 365 | 398 | 464 | 357 | 187 | 382 | 110 | 98 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 244 | 14 |
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.











