Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, let's be straight with you. This is a tough one. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but honestly, it's a grind. The only break on the menu is Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa), and it's an advanced, exposed reef setup that's fairly consistent. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 84°, which is a nice little bonus for the skin.

The first real chance to get wet doesn't come until Monday the 13th of September, and even then, it's a marginal call. For the first five days, it's a write-off – poor surf conditions with strong onshore winds and building swell. The combined energy starts climbing from a moderate 668 (on Tuesday the 8th) up to a strong 2720 (on Saturday the 12th), but it's all blown to bits by those onshore breezes, mostly from the WSW and W. You're looking at a lot of stormy, messy water.

So, Monday the 13th is the first day you might even consider paddling out. We've got a 5 ft. SSW swell, period 15 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, which is promising for shape, but the combined energy is still a solid 1387. The wind is lighter, a gentle breeze from the WSW, which is still onshore, but it's the least offensive it's been all week. The rating is a "1" – marginal. It's not going to be pretty, but it's the best we've seen.

The window stays tight. Tuesday the 14th is a write-off again with a 16 mph onshore breeze and a short, choppy 8 ft. swell from the SW with a period of only 8 seconds. That's peaky, lousy, and messy. We get a better look on Saturday the 20th of September. The swell is 6 ft. from the SSW, period 16 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 2246. But again, the wind is onshore from the WSW at 16 mph. A real case of "so close, yet so far."

The only real standout in this whole 16-day outlook is a bit of a tease. Look at Monday the 21st of September. The wind drops right out to a gentle 9 mph from the W. The swell is still a decent 6 ft. from the SSW, period 14 seconds, and the combined energy is a powerhouse 2759. Now, that's a lot of energy. The rating is a "1" again, citing marginal conditions. The wind is onshore, but at that speed, it's *almost* glassy. For a reef break like Inside Reef, with a long-period SSW swell, you could get some clean, grinding lines if the wind holds. This is your best bet, but it's still a gamble. After that, the swell fades and the wind picks up again.

Bottom line: There's a lot of swell, but the wind is the enemy. For a solid 16 days, you're fighting the onshore. That Saturday the 21st is the one to watch, but it's a long way off and the forecast is a promise, not a guarantee. For the rest of it, you're better off cleaning your board and waiting for a better forecast.

Rusty.

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