Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about Doheney Beach.

The next few days are looking like a little swell window, but it's not for the faint of heart. We've got a solid pulse of SSW groundswell lining up, but it's pushing some serious water. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is a good few degrees warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can get away with a spring suit. The highlight is definitely the weekend just ahead. Saturday afternoon (the 5th) kicks things off with a clean 5ft S swell, and the wind is a side-offshore breeze – real clean conditions. But don't be fooled, the combined energy is pumping at 1372, that's strong stuff, and the period is 13 seconds, which is proper long-period groundswell. This is going to unload with some power, and it won't be the friendliest. It's reef, so it's not as straight as a beach break, but at this size it's definitely better for the experienced crew.

Then Sunday morning (the 6th) is the real standout of this whole run. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSW, with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 1432. That's a lot of juice. But the kicker is the wind – it's coming from the NNW, which is true offshore for this spot. That'll groom the waves, keep 'em clean and steep. This is the session to point your board at. It's too big for beginners, but for anyone with some hours in the water, this is going to be a treat. Expect the long period to stack up sets and give you a breather between bombs.

From Sunday afternoon and into Monday, the swell holds but the wind swings back cross-offshore, which is still workable and clean, but not as perfect as that Sunday morning glass-off. Monday afternoon (the 7th) the wind picks up to 12 mph, and the quality starts to slide. After that, things fade fast.

By Tuesday the 8th the combined energy drops into the moderate range (856 and 581), and the wind starts getting messy. Wednesday the 9th we're down to tiny 2ft SW swell with a super long 16-second period. That's a lot of waiting between sets for barely a ride. For the rest of the first week and all of the second week, it's a bleak picture. There's a gap of basically no good surf from the 9th all the way through to the 19th. You'll see small, weak waves and onshore or cross-onshore winds. The 19th of September shows a bump back up to 5ft, but it's a short-period W windswell, and the wind is cross-onshore – that's a messy combo, and the energy is only moderate.

If you're a beginner, stay out of the water this weekend. If you're experienced, you have one real window: Sunday morning the 6th. That is your best shot. For the rest, it's a waiting game.

- Rusty

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