Inch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get stuck into the outlook for Inch Strand.

Honestly, looking at the next 16 days, it's not the best news for us. The surf is going to be pretty quiet for the first week, with a lot of tiny, messy conditions. The first real swell that shows up is on Saturday the 8th, but it comes with a lot of cross-onshore wind, which will chop it up. It’s a bit of a wait for anything decent.

Okay, let's talk about the water. The first surf we can talk about is on Tuesday morning, the 4th, but it's a no-go. The water temperature is sitting at 63°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's a small comfort.

The best of the whole period looks like it will be around Thursday, the 13th. By Thursday morning, we’ll see a 7ft swell from the W with a 9-second period, and the combined energy of all swells is moderate (635). The wind is a light cross from the NNW, so it’ll be a bit bumpy but rideable. The real standout is Thursday afternoon, the 13th: the swell drops to 4ft from the WSW, but the wind swings to a light cross-off from the N, giving us clean conditions. The energy is still moderate (280). That’s the window to aim for—it’s the best quality on offer.

Some other days to keep an eye on are Wednesday the 12th and Wednesday the 19th, but they’re not as clean. Wednesday the 12th has a 6ft swell from the SW (539 energy) but with a light cross wind, so it’s a bit messy. The 19th has a 4ft swell from the W, but it’s all cross-onshore, so it’s not going to be great.

For the first week, from the 4th to the 11th, the surf is tiny and weak. We’ve got a few days with swells under 2ft and periods below 10 seconds, and the wind is generally onshore or cross-onshore. It’s not worth paddling out. Then on the 15th and 16th, it’s back to tiny, poor conditions.

The swells that do show up, like the 6ft on the 8th, have a short period of 7 seconds, so they’ll be weak and sectiony. The longer period swells (11 seconds on the 5th, 10 seconds on the 10th and 6th) are just too small to do anything with.

So, to sum it up: the best surf is going to be on Thursday afternoon, the 13th. It’s not a huge swell, but the clean conditions will make it the most fun. If you’re a beginner, the 4ft to 5ft waves on the 13th and 12th are manageable, but anything over 5ft, like the 7ft on the 13th morning, might be a bit much. For experts, the 7ft on the 13th morning is okay, but the wind won’t be perfect.

The crowds at Inch Strand are listed as "sometimes," so you might get a few people out, but it shouldn't be a circus.

It’s a slow period, but that Thursday afternoon, the 13th, is the one to chase.

Rusty.

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