Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's shaping up at Doheney Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Okay, so it's not exactly firing right now. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but hold onto your board, because there’s a really promising window coming up in the first week that’s worth getting excited about. The water temperature is sitting at a very unusual 75°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice bonus if you're paddling out without a full suit.

Let’s run through it. Starting on Friday, the 4th of September, it’s small and a bit messy with a light cross-onshore breeze. Not the best. Saturday the 5th is similar, with a 4ft to 5ft southerly swell but still cross-shore winds keeping it a little bumpy.

The real action starts to kick in on Sunday the 6th. We’ve got a 6ft S swell rolling in, but the key here is that the wind goes light offshore and cross-offshore. That’s the magic ticket for clean waves. The combined wave energy is pushing 1400-1468 (moderate to strong), and those 13-14 second periods mean there’s some real grunt behind them. This is the standout window. This is what you’re waiting for. Monday the 7th keeps the quality going with a solid 7ft to 7ft SSW swell and clean conditions, though the afternoon gets a bit breezier. Because this swell is over 5ft, it’s going to be a bit much for beginners, but for anyone with some time in the water, this is going to be excellent. The direction (SSW) lines up perfectly with what this spot likes.

Into Tuesday the 8th, the swell starts to back off a little to 5ft-5ft, but it gets a bit cross-shore again, so it loses that clean edge. Still worth a paddle if you're around. Wednesday the 9th morning has a smaller 4ft SSW swell but with clean, cross-offshore wind and clean conditions. It’s a smaller day but still a good option for a quiet surf.

After that, things go pretty flat and a bit grim. From around Thursday the 10th of September through to Tuesday the 16th, we’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, mostly onshore or cross-shore junk. Swell heights drop to 1ft to 2ft, period gets long, but there's not enough energy to do much. That’s about an 8-day gap with nothing worth recommending.

Hold up, because just when you think it's done, there’s a flicker of hope way out on Friday the 18th of September. The afternoon shows a 5ft W swell with a short period of 8 seconds. Combined energy is 893 (moderate), and the wind swings to a cleaner cross-offshore direction. There’s a chance this could be fun and punchy, but keep in mind that short period swells don’t always hold up as well. This one is over a week away, so it’s promising but less certain.

So, the clear winner is the Sunday to Monday window (September 6th and 7th). Doheney Beach is a reef break that can handle a good swell, and with clean offshores and solid 6ft to 7ft S/SSW swell, that’s your best bet hands down. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so when it’s on, it’s on. Expect crowds though, as it can get busy when the conditions line up like this.

Rusty.

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