Inch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be real about Inch Strand for the next couple of weeks. It's a beginner-friendly spot, but we've got a long dry spell ahead before anything even worth looking at shows up.

Right now, and for the first week, it's basically flat. We're talking tiny 0.3ft to 0.7ft swells from the southwest, and even though the wind is often offshore or glassy, giving us clean conditions, there's just no power behind it. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. But don't bother paddling out for the next week and more. Things finally start looking a little different around late July.

The pick of the whole 16-day run looks to be Monday, July 20th afternoon. I know, it's a way off, so keep an eye on it. We'll see a bump in size to 5ft from the northwest, but the period is a short 6 seconds, which is windswell and messy. The wind will be cross-onshore at 12 mph, putting choppy lines on the water. The combined energy hits 259 (moderate wave energy), but honestly, with that wind and short period, it's more of a windy mess than a proper surf. This could be a half-decent option for a kite surfer who doesn't mind the chop, but for a paddle surfer, it's not going to be clean.

Earlier that same morning, Monday, July 20th morning, there's a 2ft west swell with a better 10-second period, which is more lined up. The combined energy is 158 (moderate). But the wind is onshore at 9 mph from the west, so it's not going to be pretty. Then on Tuesday, July 21st morning, we get 4ft from the west at 10 seconds, with 281 energy, but again, it's cross-onshore at 12 mph—choppy and bumpy.

Then on Sunday, July 26th morning, we finally get a cleaner shot. A 4ft west swell with a short 5-second period, 99 energy, but the wind is cross-offshore from the east-southeast at 9 mph, so the lines will be clean. It's still small and weak, so maybe a log for the beginner crew, but nothing to get hyped about.

So what's the best? Honestly, the whole window is pretty grim. If you're desperate, the cleanest conditions will be on the Thursday, July 16th morning when it's glassy and 1ft, but that's barely a ripple. For a real wave, you'd have to wait for the 20th or 21st, but that's with onshore winds ruining it. Inch Strand is exposed to the open ocean, but the best swell direction – southwest – never really lines up with good wind. It's a long flat spell, and when the swell finally pops, the wind kills it. Forecasts can change, and it doesn't stay this poor forever, but right now it's a rough patch.

Rusty.

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