Inch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s cast an eye over the next couple of weeks at Inch Strand. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch for us paddlers. The water’s sitting at a balmy 65°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a solid 4°F above the usual. Nice for a swim, but the surf isn't giving us much to work with.

The first proper hope for a session doesn’t come around until Sunday the 22nd of August. Even then, it’s nothing to write home about. Saturday morning the 22nd sees a small 1ft swell from the SW, with a long period of 15 seconds. The wind’s light and clean from the NE, so it’ll be tidy out there, but the wave energy is weak (103). It’s surfable, just very ordinary. Those long period SW swells can be a bit tricky on a beach break like this, tending to run a bit straight, so you’ll need to hunt around for a corner. The crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, but with surf this small, it should be quiet enough.

Then we have a proper dead spell from Monday the 23rd right through to Wednesday the 26th of August. The swell just fades away to nothing – we’re talking 0.7ft to 1ft dribble. Clean conditions, but there’s just no water moving. You’ll be floating around doing nothing. That’s a solid five days of flatness.

Now, things get a bit interesting but not in a good way for us beginners. Thursday the 27th of August kicks up a stormy 8ft SSW short-period swell (7 seconds), with strong onshore winds. The energy jumps up to 533, but it’s a right mess – lumpy, choppy, and not fun. This looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle session.

The real standout, and I mean the *only* standout, is Friday the 28th of August. Look, the data says the swell is 8ft from the WSW and building to 8ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds. The wave energy is pumping at 2088, which is very strong. The wind is light from the W, so it could be clean. However, and this is a big however, this swell is simply too big for Inch Strand. It's a beginner-friendly break, and anything over 8ft is expert territory. I’d say this one is for the big-wave chargers only, and even then, the tide and currents will be wild. For everyone else, it’s a day to watch from the beach.

After that, the surf drops off a cliff again, with tiny swells and strong winds right through to the end of the month. So, the honest truth is there isn’t a single day in this whole 16-day window that I’d get genuinely excited about. The only real swell is a big, dangerous one on the 28th. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long around here.

Rusty.

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