
Surf Forecasts:
Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, S swell with 1,564 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 1.7m 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) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's have a look at what's cookin'. We only got one spot in the book, Inside Reef at Hikkaduwa, and I gotta be honest with ya, the next 16 days are a bit of a grim story. The wind is just blowing from the wrong direction – West and West-Southwest – and it's gonna mess up what could be some decent swell.
Starting Saturday, July 18th, it's a no-go. We got a small 3ft swell from the SSW, but it's getting hammered by a 15 mph cross-on wind, making it choppy and poor.
It keeps on like that for days. On Monday, July 20th, the swell picks up to about 4ft from the south, with a really long period of 18 seconds – that's a powerful groundswell. The wave energy is strong (1546), but the wind is still on it, so it's just going to be a blown-out mess.
Tuesday the 21st shows a little glimmer, with a lighter 9 mph breeze in the morning, but it's still a cross-on wind, so the surf stays fairly choppy. Swell holds around 5ft from the south, but the conditions aren't clean.
From then on, it's the same story. Onshore winds, thunderstorms likely, and the swell just keeps coming but getting wrecked. The energy gets huge on Thursday, July 30th, hitting 2822 in the afternoon with a 6ft swell from the SSW. That's a lot of power, but with a 12 mph cross-on wind, it's just going to be big and ugly. By Friday the 31st, the swell is over 7ft – that's expert territory – but again, the wind will ruin it.
Honestly, there's not a single window in this whole 16-day stretch where it all comes together for a clean session. The wind is just too persistent from the wrong angle for this reef break that wants that ENE offshore breeze. The water temp is probably about normal for the time of year.
Bottom line: leave the board in the car. With all this swell and onshore wind, this looks way more like a setup for kite-surfing than for a proper paddle out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
347 | 323 | 277 | 277 | 242 | 285 | 303 | 759 | 1564 | 734 | 1108 | 951 | 465 | 367 | 282 | 282 | 225 | 125 | 254 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 4:36AM0.59m | 4:28PM0.63m | 5:13AM0.59m | 4:57PM0.59m | 5:50AM0.57m | 5:25PM0.53m | 6:30AM0.53m | 5:53PM0.47m | 7:16AM0.49m | 6:20PM0.40m | 8:24AM0.45m | 6:51PM0.33m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:03PM0.29m | 00:48AM0.18m | 2:53PM0.31m | 1:41AM0.21m | ||||||
— | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Temp °C | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 |
347 | 323 | 277 | 277 | 242 | 285 | 303 | 555 | 1564 | 734 | 1108 | 951 | 465 | 367 | 282 | 282 | 225 | 125 | 254 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | S 18 | W 10 | S 12 | W 9 | SE 8 | W 9 | W 9 | S 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
81 | 78 | 100 | 92 | 94 | 128 | 157 | 759 | 154 | 276 | 108 | 10 | 153 | 119 | 60 | 92 | 83 | 59 | 119 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SE 8 | W 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | W 8 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SW 16 |
72 | 77 | 76 | 54 | 35 | 51 | 68 | 154 | 92 | 154 | 10 | 2 | 84 | 65 | 50 | 41 | 75 | 79 | 198 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 |
69 | 89 | 92 | 89 | 162 | 134 | 89 | 78 | 80 | 74 | 52 | 203 | — | 96 | 18 | 26 | 38 | 36 | 21 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 211 | 205 | 210 | 211 | 210 | 739 | 211 | 210 | 738 | 211 | 211 | 738 | 58 | 738 | 739 | 739 | 646 | 739 | 211 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










