
Surf Forecasts:
Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, S swell with 1,415 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) in the next 16 days are 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.
First off, I gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) is a tough one for the next while. The water’s sitting at 84°F, which is about 2°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’ll be in for a warm soak if you do paddle out, but don’t expect much else.
The first solid bit of surf we see is a pulse on Monday the 20th of July. The morning is a write-off, but come Monday afternoon, a new S swell pushes in at 5ft with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper long-period groundswell with a lot of energy behind it (1648). The problem is, the wind is a gentle cross-onshore breeze, making it fairly choppy. The spot is a reef break for advanced surfers only, and it’s exposed to the SW swell, but the wind angle is just not helping. It’s a marginal call at best, and the tide could mess with it too. I wouldn’t get too excited.
Then Tuesday the 21st of July shows a similar story – another S swell around 5ft, period 15 seconds, and again moderate onshore winds in the morning. The afternoon sees a drop in energy and more cross-onshore breeze. Still not clean.
The real kicker is that the whole rest of the period is plagued by foul winds. From Wednesday the 15th right through to the end of the month, it’s a constant stream of west to west-southwest winds, mostly moderate, and often cross-onshore or directly onshore. The swell tends to be small, between 2ft and 4ft for most days, with very poor surf conditions called out repeatedly. Even when we get a bigger pulse on the 28th and 30th of July – with swell heights up to 5ft and periods of 16 to 20 seconds – the wind is still cross-onshore, ruining the face. The energy on the 30th of July morning is massive (2478), but it’s completely wasted by the wind. For a reef break like this, that’s a heartbreaker.
There’s one slim window on the 27th of July afternoon where the swell direction swings to the SSW with a very long 18-second period (729 energy), but the wind is still directly onshore, so it’s messy.
Honestly, the best I can say is maybe look at the 28th of July as a “promising but uncertain” long-range call. The swell is there (5ft, 16 seconds), but the wind needs to behave. Without a proper offshore or glassy morning, this spot just won’t deliver. For the next 16 days, the pickings are slim. If you’re a kite surfer, the consistent onshore wind and moderate swell might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, this is a long stretch of blank days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 14 | S 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
398 | 468 | 558 | 482 | 482 | 482 | 482 | 425 | 347 | 323 | 277 | 277 | 242 | 285 | 307 | 759 | 1415 | 858 | 978 | 834 | 609 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 2:53PM0.66m | 3:19AM0.54m | 3:26PM0.67m | 3:58AM0.57m | 3:58PM0.65m | 4:36AM0.59m | 4:28PM0.63m | 5:13AM0.59m | 4:57PM0.59m | 5:50AM0.57m | 5:25PM0.53m | 6:30AM0.53m | 5:53PM0.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:22PM0.05m | 9:09AM0.09m | 9:52PM0.04m | 9:46AM0.11m | 10:21PM0.03m | 10:22AM0.15m | 10:49PM0.05m | 10:57AM0.19m | 11:17PM0.07m | 11:33AM0.22m | 11:45PM0.10m | 12:12PM0.26m | 00:14AM0.14m | ||||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 14 | S 13 |
235 | 468 | 558 | 482 | 482 | 482 | 482 | 425 | 347 | 323 | 277 | 277 | 242 | 285 | 307 | 759 | 1415 | 858 | 978 | 834 | 609 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | S 12 | W 10 | W 9 | SE 8 |
398 | 235 | 223 | 239 | 167 | 131 | 98 | 98 | 66 | 59 | 99 | 94 | 94 | 92 | 123 | 170 | 161 | 284 | 257 | 106 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SW 18 |
— | 4 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 19 | 8 | 20 | 47 | 71 | 68 | 39 | 34 | 48 | 64 | 242 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 10 | W 5 | W 5 | W 9 |
179 | 150 | 109 | 104 | 67 | 60 | 102 | 119 | 127 | 146 | 109 | 132 | 178 | 144 | 80 | 66 | 61 | 284 | 29 | 25 | 177 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 211 | 210 | 739 | 210 | 739 | 211 | 210 | 859 | 211 | 208 | 338 | 211 | 210 | 211 | 211 | 210 | 739 | 211 | 738 | 739 | 58 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) is 9 km (6 miles) from the city of Ambalangoda. If you plan a holiday in West Sri Lanka, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ambalangoda. Ambalangoda has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










