Inchydoney Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, grab a coffee, and let's talk about the next couple of weeks here at Inchydoney. I've got to be straight with you – it's a tough run. The forecast is looking pretty bleak for any decent surf, so we're in for a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The first real sniff of anything ridable is a long way off, and even then, it's a gamble.

The water here is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 64°, which is a nice treat for the skin, but we'd trade that warmth for a bit more push any day.

We're looking at a gap of nearly a week before anything even remotely interesting pops up. From Saturday the 18th of July to Friday the 24th, it's a flat spell. Swell heights are barely a whisper, mostly 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft from the SSW or SW. The combined energy is pathetic, barely registering a pulse, with values like 18 and 22. The winds are mostly offshore or clean, which is a tease, but there's simply no water moving. It's a board-waxing and horizon-watching period.

The first bit of action comes on Saturday the 25th of July. The swell bumps up to 4 ft from the WSW, but here's the catch – it's a short, angry 5-second period, and the wind is a strong cross-onshore. The combined energy creeps up to 86, which is still very weak. The quality is poor, described as messy and strong cross-onshore. This is more of a washout than a surf day. For the kitesurfers, this might be something, but for paddle power, it's a hard pass.

Sunday the 26th of July is a rinse and repeat. Slightly smaller swell at 3 ft from the WSW, with a 6-second period, and a fresh cross-shore wind. The energy is 62. It's lumpy and cross-chop. Not worth the drive.

The pattern continues through the start of the next week. Monday the 27th of July is a mess. A 3 ft swell from the WSW with a 3-second period? That's pure wind chop. The energy drops to 38. The wind is a strong cross-shore. It's a write-off. Tuesday the 28th of July sees a cleaner morning with a cross-off wind, but the swell is a pathetic 2 ft from the WSW with a 4-second period. The energy is only 22. It's clean, but there's no power.

Wednesday the 29th of July offers a 3 ft swell from the WSW, but the period is still a short 4 seconds, and the wind is a moderate cross-onshore in the afternoon. The energy is 43. It's choppy and weak.

The best day on offer, if you can call it that, is Thursday the 30th of July. The morning has a light cross-off breeze and a 2 ft swell from the SW with a 6-second period, and the energy is 31. The afternoon looks better with a 3 ft swell from the WSW, a 5-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the north. The energy is 38. It's still very small, but the wind is right. For a log or a longboard, it might be glassy and clean. This is the standout, but it's a very low bar.

The final days of the forecast, from Friday the 31st of July through to Sunday the 2nd of August, see the swell drop back to nothing. The energy values fall to single digits. It's a sad end to the outlook.

So, if you're a beginner, the whole period is a no-go. The swell is tiny and weak. For the experts, there's nothing to get excited about. The only faint glimmer of a session is on Thursday the 30th of July, where the clean afternoon wind might make the 3 ft swell feel like a fun little cruise. Everything else is a skip. It's a tough run for Inchydoney, but the sea can change fast.

Rusty

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