Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer around Hikkaduwa.

Straight up, the outlook for the next 16 days is a real mixed bag and, honestly, a bit of a struggle for the first week and a half. The wind is the main problem – it’s blowing from the west or west-southwest pretty much the whole time, which is not our friend here. The first week is a write-off for decent surf. From Thursday the 16th right through to Sunday the 20th, the conditions are just poor. The wind is cross-on or onshore, making for choppy, bumpy surf. The swell is there, but it’s all dressed up with nowhere to go. It’s a tough run.

We get a little flicker of hope on Monday the 20th. The swell picks up to 4 ft on the morning and over 6 ft in the afternoon, coming from the South with a very long period of 16 to 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy (combined energy of 1732 to 1909), which is moderate to strong. The problem is the wind is still onshore, so the forecasters are calling it “marginal” at best. It’s frustrating because there’s some serious power in the water, but it’s likely going to be lumpy. This is a spot for advanced surfers only, especially with the afternoon size pushing over 6 ft – it’s getting big for the average punter.

Things don’t really improve. The rest of that week and into the next, the wind stays stubborn. There’s a run of poor surf conditions from Tuesday the 22nd all the way through to Tuesday the 29th. The swell drops and changes direction constantly, but the wind never lets up. The real pain is seeing that long-period swell on Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st. On Thursday afternoon, the swell period hits 24 seconds – that’s extremely long, meaning the waves will have a ton of energy (combined energy of 2380). Then on Friday the 31st, the swell height jumps to over 6 ft with a period of 20 seconds (combined energy of 3044, very strong). But again, the wind is onshore or cross-on. It’s a classic case of so much potential, but the wind is just ruining it. For a reef break like this, long-period groundswell is normally perfect, but not with this wind.

If you’re an expert and you really want to paddle out, the best chance might be very early on the morning of Friday the 31st, but even then, it’s a gamble. The water temperature is about average for the time of year here, so no surprises there.

Overall, it’s a frustrating outlook. The swell windows are there, but the wind is the enemy. For the first 9 days or so, there’s practically nothing to recommend. The last few days of the month have the power, but the quality is missing. It’s a watch and wait situation. Keep an eye on the wind forecasts, because if it swings offshore, this place could go off.

Rusty.

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