Inchydoney Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for Inchydoney over the next 16 days. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch. The surf is small and the wind is a problem for most of it. We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions, but there are a couple of windows where it cleans up just enough to get a few so-so ones.

The first glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday the 8th of September. A clean morning with a light NW cross-off breeze and small 3ft swell from the SW. The energy is low though, at 130 (moderate wave energy). It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. The afternoon holds similar, with 2ft and 19 mph NW wind keeping it clean, but the swell is fading. Then Wednesday the 9th morning is glassy – absolutely dead calm with 2ft of SW swell. That’s the kind of morning you’d take a longboard out for a cruise, but the wave energy is only 53 (weak). It’s the best it’s going to get for a while.

After that, a real doldrum sets in. From Thursday the 10th right through to the 20th of September, the surf is either too small, blown out, or both. There’s a big pulse of energy on the 10th afternoon with 6ft SW swell, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-on, making it a total mess (combined energy 405 – strong). That’s not for paddling; that’s more of a kite-surfing kind of day. We get a brief clean-up on Friday the 11th morning with a 3ft SW swell and a light 9 mph offshore wind from the NNW, but the energy is only 114 (moderate). Anything over 5ft here is too big for beginners, and when it’s over 8ft (no sign of that) it’s for experts only.

The best of a bad bunch comes later. On Sunday the 20th of September, the morning session looks clean again with a light WNW wind, 3ft SW swell, and 117 (moderate) energy. The water is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year at 63°F. It’s small, but it’s clean. And then Tuesday the 22nd morning offers a similar vibe: 4ft SW swell, clean cross-off wind from the WNW, and moderate energy at 115. That’s the pick of the second week.

Inchydoney is a river break, sheltered and inconsistent. It rarely gets proper, punchy waves. Given the constant onshore winds and the small sizes, there’s no standout session here. The best you can hope for is a small, clean, glassy morning with a longboard. The long periods (like the 16-second swell on the 19th) will be too straight and won’t offer much shape at a river mouth. For the experts, there’s nothing to get excited about. For the beginners, the washes are too small and messy. Keep your eye on the forecasts; things can change.

Rusty.

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