Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, strap yourselves in, ‘cause I’ve been staring at the charts for this little slice of Sri Lanka and, well, it’s a bit of a tough watch. The forecast for the next 16 days looks pretty grim for any decent wave riding. We’re looking at a long stretch of onshore winds and messy conditions making it a real struggle to find anything clean.

The pick of the bunch, if you can even call it that, is Inside Reef (Hikkaduwa). The good news is the swell is there, but it's coming from the S and SW, which is fine for the break, but the wind is a constant problem. The water temperature is sitting right around average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a write-off. Starting Saturday the 8th of August, we’ve got a solid 6ft S swell rolling in, with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the *combined swell energy is strong (2367)*. But that’s where the good news ends. The wind is firing from the W at 16 mph, putting it onshore and ruining the surface. It’s a poor surf condition, choppy and blown out. This theme continues through Sunday and Monday.

Throughout the first week, the wind stays stubbornly from the W and WSW, keeping the waves messy. The swell height bounces between 3ft and 6ft, and the period is generally long, but that doesn’t matter when the surface is chopped. After the 14th of August, the wind eases slightly but stays cross-onshore, and the waves get a bit smaller. It’s still poor.

There is a slight uptick in energy around the 18th and 19th of August. Tuesday the 18th sees a 7ft SSW swell with a 18-second period. The *combined swell energy is very strong (3239)*. But again, the wind is cross-onshore from the W at 12 mph. The wave comment says "marginal", which is a step up from "poor", but it still looks average. The swell is over 8ft on the 19th, which is only for experts, and the wind is still cross-onshore. For the experienced locals who know the reef, there might be the odd bowl, but the rest of us should probably give it a miss.

The final few days of the run, from the 20th to the 23rd, look like a return to the same old story: onshore winds and poor surf. The swell is still there, around 5ft to 6ft, but it’s messy.

Honestly, for the whole 16 days, with the prevailing onshore winds, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Unless you’re absolutely desperate and willing to risk a washing machine, I’d hang the board up for a bit.

Rusty.

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