Main Reef (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Main Reef (Hikkaduwa). I’ll be honest with you, looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a tough stretch. The water’s sitting at a warm 83°F, which is just about average for this time of year.

The problem is that the wind is blowing from the wrong direction for this spot. This reef needs a light offshore from the ENE to clean up, but we’re looking at a solid run of onshore and cross-onshore winds from the west and southwest. It’s creating a lot of chop and generally poor surf conditions. The swell energy is actually there, with some strong pulses – you’ll see readings of 817 (moderate wave energy) early on, and it ramps up significantly. For instance, on the morning of August 27, we’ve got a 6ft swell from the SSW with a long period of 19 seconds, and the combined energy is a hefty 2255 (strong wave energy). That’s a proper groundswell. But it’s all being blown out by those 16 mph winds.

This pattern basically holds the whole time. The swell sticks around, often between 3ft and 7ft, with that long period (14-19 seconds) which would normally mean great shape and power. But the wind just won’t cooperate. Even when the swell drops a bit, the wind stays on it. There’s a brief moment on the morning of September 5th with lighter winds from the WSW at 9 mph, but the swell is only 4ft from the SSW and the period is short at 12 seconds. It’s still listed as poor conditions.

Honestly, there isn’t a single standout in this forecast. Every single session is flagged as poor. The wind is the killer. It’s a real shame, because the swell energy is there for some serious waves. With the wind and the swell direction coming from the SSW, this setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. We’ll have to wait for the wind to swing around.

Rusty.

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