Inchydoney Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you. We've got a 16-day window ahead for Inchydoney, and I'm not gonna sugarcoat it – this is a tough stretch. It's a sheltered river break that ideally wants a SW swell and clean conditions, and we're just not getting that combo for good, quality surf. We're looking at a long, long run of days where you're better off leaving the board in the car.

The first surfable moment doesn't arrive until Sunday, July 14th, Tuesday morning. Up until then, it's day after day of tiny, weak waves or unfavourable wind. From July 5th right through to July 14th there's nothing but zeros. When Tuesday finally rolls around, we get a little pulse of energy. Morning brings a 1ft SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds from a light ENE cross-off breeze, keeping it clean. The combined energy is sitting at 131 (moderate). It’s still small and the conditions are just ordinary – the file says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – so it's a one-star situation. Don't get your hopes up; it's the best we've got in that first week and a half, but it's about as average as it gets.

That whole middle part of the month just drifts by with glassy or offshore mornings but barely a ripple in the water. Then we get to the tail end of the outlook. The stuff that's further out, around Saturday, July 19th and Sunday, July 20th, starts to show some more size but brings its own problems.

Sunday, July 19th, the swell tries to build. Morning shows a 5ft SW swell with a short 8-second period, and it's cross-shore with messy, lumpy chop from the fresh breeze (combined energy at 266 – moderate to strong). The afternoon gets even bigger, pushing 6ft from the WSW at 9 seconds but with a cross-on wind up to 19 mph, making it a choppy mess. The energy jumps to 481 (strong), but the quality is poor. That size with that period and cross-shore/cross-on wind isn't going to be clean, paddle-friendly surf. It might be more interesting for the kite crew than for a surfer looking for a smooth ride. For paddle surfing, it's going to be a battle.

The next morning, Monday, July 20th, the swell drops back to 2ft from the SW at 8 seconds, and a moderate NW cross-off wind cleans it up (combined energy 102). It's a slight improvement, but still not great.

So, the honest truth? There is no true standout in this 16-day window. The only days that even get a score above zero are the ordinary Tuesday morning on July 14th and the messy, blown-out weekend at the end. It's a long, quiet spell for Inchydoney. Stick with it – forecasts can change, and it won't stay this dead forever.

Rusty.

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