Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu at Doheney Beach.

Honestly, for the next couple of weeks, it’s a real struggle to get excited. The surf is hanging around, but it’s mostly small, bumpy, and the wind just won’t get out of the way. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal conditions, so don’t expect any magic.

The water is sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than what we usually feel this time of year.

Things kick off on Thursday, September 10th. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the SW, with a solid 17-second period pushing through. The energy is moderate (646). Problem is, the wind is on it from the SSE at 9 mph, keeping the surface a bit bumpy. It’s surfable, but it’s not the clean stuff we want. The afternoon stays similar, just with a slightly shorter 16-second period.

Friday the 11th is a write-off. The morning is a choppy mess with cross-onshore winds at 12 mph, and the swell drops to 3ft. The afternoon is a little better with lighter wind, but still marginal.

The whole weekend, September 12th and 13th, is a real downer. Swell gets smaller, dropping to 2ft on Saturday, and the period on Sunday plummets to a short, weak 7 seconds. The wind is still a problem. These are not days for a paddle.

The following week from Monday the 14th through to the next weekend is a constant run of "marginal" or "poor" labels. The swell hovers around 2ft to 3ft, with the wind mostly on it or cross-shore. There’s no standout window here. The best of a bad bunch might be the afternoon of Friday, September 18th, where we get a clean 2ft SW swell with a 19-second period and a cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (500), but the wave height is just too small to get excited about.

The only real surge of energy comes late in the forecast. On Monday, September 21st, the combined energy jumps to 673, with a 3ft SW swell and a 17-second period. The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’s not glassy, but it’s the most power we’ve seen in a while. It’s still a day of *marginal* quality, but if you’re desperate, that’s your window.

The last notable blip is on Friday, September 25th, in the afternoon. We get a 2ft from the SW with a very long 20-second period, pushing a moderate energy (524). The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’s clean enough for the size, but again, it’s tiny.

Bottom line: If you’ve got a kite, the onshore wind days might be more fun than a paddle. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but as it stands, this is a very quiet stretch for the reef.

Rusty.

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