Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, checking in with the look ahead for Doheney Beach. It's a reef set-up, exposed to the swell, and we've got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the water temp is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, coming in around 71°F. That’s a nice bonus.

We gotta be honest, for the first few days it’s looking pretty flat and uninspiring. From Saturday the 22nd all the way through to Tuesday the 25th, we’re stuck in that range of knee-to-waist high dribble, maxing out at maybe 2ft. The wind isn't helping either; it's mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the wave energy is only moderate (139 to 387). The swell periods are long – hitting 15 to 19 seconds – which would normally be a good sign at a reef, but there's just not enough height to make them count. You wouldn't paddle out for this.

Now, the pattern shifts as we head into Wednesday the 26th. A pulse of southerly swell is due to push in, and it gets serious. We’re looking at 5ft in the morning building to 6ft by the afternoon with a period of 15 seconds. The combined energy jumps up to a very strong 1279 to 1589. This is proper expert territory here – this wave height is only for the skilled crew, as it's over 5ft. The wind is light and directly offshore from the south, which will keep it clean. This is the standout session of the whole forecast, but only if you've got the experience for it. The swell direction from the S is a bit off the optimum SSW, but the power and clean wind make up for it.

Thursday the 27th sees the swell backing off a bit to 4ft but with a shorter 12-second period, and the wind swings cross-onshore in the morning. It's still worth a look early but nowhere near as good as Wednesday.

The second week is a classic case of watching and waiting. From the 28th of August to the 3rd of September, the swell hangs around 2ft to 4ft. The wind is mostly light, and on the 29th of August (Saturday afternoon) we get a clean cross-off breeze and the combined energy climbs to 832 – a good sign for a fun session, but nothing massive.

Then we hit a big question mark in the long-range. The files point to Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September. A new SSW swell is forecast to push in with a very long 19 to 16-second period and massive combined energy readings over 1600 (1614 to 1718). The swell heights are around 5ft, which is a solid size for everyone. It’s a promising outlook, but it’s a long way out, so you’d best keep your fingers crossed and check back closer to the day. The wind is light and cross to cross-shore, so it could be magic.

Overall, the absolute standout is Wednesday the 26th of August for the experts. For everyone else, the Saturday the 29th afternoon and the potential run starting Friday the 4th of September are the ones to pencil in.

Signing off,
Rusty.

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