Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Straight up, this is a tough one. The forecast is pretty much a write-off for any decent paddle surfing for the entire 16-day window. We're looking at a long, blank run with no real standouts. The wind is stuck onshore or cross-onshore, coming from the west, which just ruins the face of any wave. There's plenty of energy in the water – the combined energy readings are often in the moderate to strong range, like 438 (weak) on Friday, but it climbs to three-digit numbers like 753, 1003, and even four-digit values like 1540, 1643, and 2323, so there's heaps of power – but it's all messy, choppy, and lumpy. The set-up here at Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) is an exposed reef, so with these onshore winds, it's just a washing machine. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 83.8°F, about 2.5°F above average, but that's the only bright spot.

For the first week, from Friday the 24th of July through the end of the month, we've got a mix of "poor surf conditions" and one day of "marginal surf" on Sunday afternoon. The swell is small, mostly between 2.3 ft and 4.6 ft, but the wind is a constant 12 to 16 mph from the west, blowing straight onshore. There's a bit of a long-period groundswell showing up, with periods hitting 14, 18, and even 20 seconds, which would be amazing in clean conditions, but with this wind, it’s just going to be a bumpy, blown-out mess. The only thing that might be worth a look is if you're into kite surfing, because the cross-onshore winds and the swell energy (438 to 1528 in the combined energy readings) would be more fun on a kite than a paddle board.

Moving into the second week, it doesn't get any better. From the 1st of August onwards, the winds pick up to 19 mph, and the swell gets bigger, hitting 4.3 ft, then 6.6 ft, and even 8.2 ft on the 2nd of August. But that 8.2 ft swell is coming from the west with a short period of 8 seconds, so it's just wind chop. The combined energy readings are still high, in the 1400s, 1500s, and beyond, but it's all "fresh cross-onshore and lumpy." The reef is going to be a mess with that much wind and that short-period swell. There's a massive energy spike on the 7th and 8th of August, with combined energy readings of 2323 and 2160, with a long-period 19-second swell from the SSW, but the wind is still 16 to 19 mph from the west. It's a solid groundswell that would be incredible at a sheltered point, but here, it's just going to be a big, lumpy, dangerous closeout.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, I'd leave the board at home. It's a complete dud for paddle surfing. The consistent onshore wind and lack of any clean window means you're better off finding something else to do. The only positive is that it tends not to stay this poor for long, but for now, that's the reality.

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