Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening for the next 16 days. The only spot showing any life is Inside Reef at Hikkaduwa, and it’s a tough watch. The water is about 84°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s the one good thing.

We’ve got a long stretch where the surf is mostly poor or just plain ugly. The biggest push comes on Saturday the 12th of September, with swell running 7 to 7 ft from the SSW and a long 17-second period. The combined energy is 2603 to 2727 (moderate-strong), but it’s all blown out by west winds at 12 mph and storm clouds. That long period on a reef will close out and get tricky – this is for experts only, too big for beginners.

The best of a bad bunch is the Thursday morning of the 10th of September. Swell is 5 ft from the SSW with a very long 18-second period. Combined energy is 1452 (moderate). The wind is west at 12 mph, cross-on, so it’s not clean, but at least it’s clear skies. For an advanced surfer, there might be a couple of waves if you get lucky. But it’s inconsistent, crowds are possible, and the quality is low.

From Friday the 11th all the way through the 25th of September, it’s onshore or cross-onshore winds from the west/southwest, often 12–22 mph, with the swell sticking around 3 to 7 ft. The period drops into the 12-to-15-second range, and by the 23rd and 24th, you get short 7-to-8-second windswell from the west – total junk. Combined energy stays under 1500 (weak to moderate), and the quality is poor. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing when the wind is fresh.

To keep it short: Saturday the 12th has the most size (7–7 ft, SSW, 17 seconds), but it’s storm-churned. The Thursday morning of the 10th is the least bad, with 5 ft, 18-second groundswell and no rain, but still cross-on wind. No real standouts. Just a long 16-day stretch of poor conditions.

Rusty.

Read more