Inchydoney Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for Inchydoney is a tough one. The whole stretch is looking pretty flat, and there’s not a single decent surf day on offer. The wave energy is weak across the board, with the combined energy of all swells directed here struggling to get above 100, peaking at a mere 126 (moderate energy) on the morning of the 14th, but even then, the wave heights are only 1ft and the conditions are poor. It’s a real quiet spell, and with no recommendations, it’s one of those blank runs that can happen in this area. Don’t throw the board in the attic just yet – things can change.

The forecast kicks off on Wednesday, 8th July, with a tiny 0.7ft W swell at 10 seconds, but the cross-on WSW wind at 20 km/h is making it choppy and messy. The water temp is 59°F with a -0.5°F anomaly – that’s pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The next few days are much the same: tiny waves, poor conditions, and a lot of clean-looking but ultimately surf-less mornings. You’ll see some glassy conditions on Thursday morning, 9th July, with NNE wind at 5 km/h, but the swell is barely a ripple at 0.7ft. It’s frustrating.

The swell direction shifts to SSW from the 11th, and the period climbs into the teens, even hitting 21 seconds on the afternoon of the 12th, but the wave height stays stubbornly around 0.7ft to 1.0ft. That’s a long-period groundswell with no height to it – just a lot of energy moving through without breaking. The wind starts to blow strong from the ENE on the 13th, at 40 km/h, which at least keeps the surface clean as a cross-off, but the energy is still weak (96 to 98). The best looking energy comes on the 14th and 15th, with combined energy of 126 and 117 respectively, but the swell is still only 1ft and the wind is either a fresh cross-off or a cross-shore with lumpy chop. It’s not surfable.

By Thursday, 16th July, the morning has a 1ft SSW swell at 14 seconds and a light NW cross-off wind, and the forecast finally says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – our first and only score of 1/10. It’s clean, but it’s marginal. After that, the swell drops back to 1.0ft and 0.7ft for the rest of the run, with periods going short (6 seconds on the 19th) and then climbing again. The wind gets messy on the 20th with a strong cross-on WSW at 45 km/h, making it choppy and messy. The last few days, from the 21st to the 23rd, are just tiny, weak, and often messy.

So, mates, there’s no standout. No session to get excited about. Inchydoney is a sheltered river break, it’s inconsistent, and when the swell is this small, it just doesn’t fire. The water stays around average temperature, the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, but there’s simply not enough wave to push a paddle. If you’re desperate, the Thursday morning of the 16th is your best bet for a clean, small wave, but keep your expectations low. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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