Inch Reefs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Looks like we’ve got a lean spell coming up for Inch Reefs, but there are a couple of windows worth circling on the calendar.

The water is 64°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. A solid early pulse of swell arrives on Sunday the 30th with waist-chest high waves (6-7 ft) out of the WSW, period around 9 seconds, carrying moderate energy (619). But the offshore wind is actually from the SSW, so it’s not clean – it’s onshore, plus there’s a risk of thunderstorms, so the quality is shot. That pattern sticks through the week: onshore winds from the SW to WSW through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the swell building to a chunky 7-7 ft, period dropping to 8 seconds, wave energy moderate to solid (580-641). It’s windy and choppy, not good for a paddle.

Then come Thursday the 3rd – that’s the only real standout in the whole outlook. The swell jumps to a solid 12 ft from the W, with a long period of 12 seconds, producing very strong wave energy (3442). That’s proper groundswell. The morning wind is onshore from the SW, but the model notes that wind and tide are favourable for the break. At this size, 12 ft, it’s for experienced crew only – too big for beginners. This kind of long-period groundswell can race past beach breaks, but on a point setup like Inch Reefs, it’ll line up nicely. Expect longer lulls between sets, but the waves that come have real punch. Afternoon on Thursday though, the wind ramps up to 19 mph onshore and it turns to junk.

From Friday the 4th, the swell tanks hard – barely 1 ft and short-lived energy (53), with strong cross-onshore winds from the W and WNW. That stretch lasts a few days of nothing surfable until Saturday the 5th when a new pulse tries to push in at 6 ft from the WNW, period 10 seconds, moderate energy (599). But again the wind is cross-onshore from the SSE and the quality is marginal at best.

We hit another quiet few days from the 7th, but the week of September 12th offers a small, clean window. On Saturday the 12th, we get 4 ft from the W, period 11 seconds (long period), moderate energy (332) and glassy conditions in the morning with light east wind. That’s a lovely little session for the experienced – small, clean, and the break should hold shape. The afternoon stays clean with light cross-offshore winds from the N. That Saturday is the other standout: not big, but glassy and pleasant.

Beyond that, the wind stays light and clean through Sunday the 13th, but the swell drops to 3 ft, energy low (103), only ordinary waves. Then by Monday the 14th, it’s nearly flat with 1 ft.

So overall, we’ve got a big lump on Thursday the 3rd for the brave, and a small, glassy day on Saturday the 12th for a peaceful paddle. The middle of the outlook has a long gap of poor conditions from Friday the 4th into early the following week. Expect crowds are possible at Inch Reefs on a decent day, especially that Thursday if the wind co-operates.

Rusty.

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