Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then. Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa).

The honest truth is, the whole 16-day stretch is a bit of a write-off for quality surf. The swell is there, sure, but it’s almost constantly blown out by onshore winds. The water temp is sitting at 84°F which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

Starting from this Sunday, 13th September, it’s a no-go. The swell is around 6 ft from the SSW with a solid 16-second period, which is proper groundswell, and the combined energy is strong at (1667). But the wind is cross-onshore from the WNW at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. It stays like this – poor conditions and scores of zero – all the way through Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th. We’re looking at a gap of several days with nothing worth paddling out for.

Wednesday the 16th sees a jump in size to 7 ft from the SW, but the period drops right off to a short 8 seconds and the wind stays cross-onshore. That’s just ugly. Only a marginal nod for the morning, but it’s not one to get excited about.

The pattern holds: onshore winds and poor to marginal surf continue right through the rest of the week. On Thursday the 17th, there’s a slight improvement in the afternoon with the wind dropping to a gentle breeze at 9 mph, still cross-onshore, with 5 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, but it’s only marginal. Not a standout.

By the weekend of the 19th and 20th, the swell gets bigger again – up to 7 ft on Saturday and 7 ft on Sunday – but the wind swings fully onshore at 16 to 19 mph. This is getting into “better for kites” territory than a clean surf session. The combined energy is strong (2197 on Saturday afternoon), but with that wind, it’s a mess.

The following week from Monday 21st September onward, it’s more of the same: onshore wind, poor conditions, and only marginal callouts on the 28th. The swell fluctuates between 3 ft and 10 ft, but the wind never gets right. The periods are often long, 16 to 19 seconds, which for a reef setup like Inside Reef is usually a good thing, but not with that wind.

To be plain, there’s not a single standout session in this whole outlook. The best you could hope for is a quick look on the 28th Monday afternoon when it’s marginal, but even then the wind is cross-onshore. It’s a long blank run with no real quality on the cards. Forecasts can change though, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more