
Surf Forecasts:
Doheney Beach surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with 386 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Doheney Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Doheney Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Doheney Beach in the next 16 days are 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Doheney Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week or so is looking pretty flat and average. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swell and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds making a mess of things. Don’t get your hopes up for any real juice until we get into the middle of next week.
Let’s start from Saturday, the 12th. Doheney Beach has a tiny 2 ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. The water’s sitting at a warm 71°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is weak (214). It’s barely worth paddling out for.
Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are even worse – onshore winds, messy conditions, and swell dropping to 2 ft. Poor surf conditions flagged all the way. Not worth the wetsuit.
Tuesday the 15th through to Thursday the 17th? More of the same. Swell hangs around 1 ft to 3 ft, mostly from the SSW, with light cross-onshore or cross-shore winds. The energy is still on the low side (278-427). There are a few moments Thursday afternoon, the 17th, where the wind goes cross-offshore and the conditions clean up a bit, but the swell is still tiny at 3 ft. Nothing to write home about.
Friday the 18th shows the swell bumping up a little – 2 ft from the SW, period up to 19 seconds, and clean conditions in the afternoon with cross-offshore winds. The energy is building to moderate (461-478). Still small, but at least it’s clean.
Now, here's the standout. Saturday the 19th is your best bet in the whole run. Doheney Beach sees the swell hold at 3 ft from the SW, with a solid 18-second period. The winds go light and cross-offshore, giving us clean, glassy conditions. The combined energy is the highest we’ve seen at 555 (moderate). It’s not huge, but for a wave of that quality, with that period and clean wind, it’s the pick of the fortnight. Expect some proper long-period groundswell lines. Just a heads up – this break can get busy, so crowds are often a thing here.
Sunday the 20th through Tuesday the 23rd? The swell hangs in the 3 ft to 3 ft range from the SW, but the wind swings back onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy dips again. The period drops from 18 seconds down to 15 seconds over those days. It’s marginal – you might find a wave, but it won’t be as clean as Saturday.
From Wednesday the 24th through to Sunday the 27th of September, the swell slowly fades back to 2 ft-3 ft with shorter periods (13-16 seconds). Winds stay mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore. After the 19th, there’s nothing else that really stands out. The energy drops back to weak (209-301) or just moderate. The final couple of days, the 27th, sees a slight bump in swell to 3 ft with 16-second period and clean cross-offshore winds in the afternoon, but by then, we’re looking at a long-range call – less certain.
Bottom line: if you can only get out once, make it Saturday the 19th afternoon at Doheney Beach. It’s small but clean, with some decent period pushing through. The rest of the window is pretty mediocre.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 9 | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
164 | 160 | 88 | 87 | 225 | 142 | 192 | 147 | 127 | 127 | 114 | 386 | 240 | 291 | 196 | 246 | 242 | 303 | 303 | 234 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 10:48PM1.88m | 10:58AM2.09m | 11:32PM1.68m | 11:26AM2.06m | 00:21AM1.49m | 11:56AM1.99m | 1:26AM1.32m | 12:29PM1.90m | 3:59AM1.22m | 1:16PM1.80m | 2:38PM1.72m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 4:45PM0.49m | 4:42AM0.61m | 5:29PM0.51m | 5:06AM0.80m | 6:16PM0.56m | 5:26AM0.96m | 7:11PM0.64m | 5:39AM1.11m | 8:25PM0.71m | 5:03AM1.22m | 10:08PM0.73m | 11:37PM0.66m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 6 |
164 | 28 | 74 | 77 | 225 | 142 | 149 | 78 | 74 | 55 | 33 | 386 | 240 | 291 | 196 | 246 | 242 | 303 | 303 | 45 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 12 | SSE 9 | S 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
22 | 160 | 88 | 87 | 85 | 108 | 192 | 147 | 127 | 122 | 88 | 30 | 29 | 41 | 72 | 28 | 55 | 118 | 104 | 184 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSE 9 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 19 |
28 | 23 | 12 | 58 | 127 | 44 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 127 | 114 | 11 | 9 | 63 | 29 | 46 | 154 | 57 | 54 | 234 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | W 3 | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 25 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 97 | 6 | 76 | 97 | 41 | 74 | 76 | 41 | 74 | 77 | 0 | 74 | 97 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Doheney Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Doheney Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Doheney Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Doheney Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Doheney Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Doheney Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Doheney Beach is 2 km (1 miles) from Dana Point. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Dana Point. Dana Point has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










