
Surf Forecasts:
Doheney Beach surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,652 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with SSW 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 05) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 13s. 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 2.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Doheney Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
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.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
659 | 525 | 627 | 806 | 684 | 1363 | 1303 | 701 | 1462 | 1558 | 1143 | 816 | 757 | 495 | 316 | 278 | 419 | 560 | 502 | 430 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:15PM1.99m | 7:14AM1.38m | 4:47PM2.04m | 7:43AM1.51m | 6:02PM2.15m | 8:11AM1.63m | 7:02PM2.24m | 8:39AM1.76m | 7:53PM2.30m | 9:07AM1.87m | 8:39PM2.28m | 9:35AM1.97m | 9:23PM2.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:39PM0.45m | 10:02AM1.32m | 00:41AM0.30m | 11:50AM1.24m | 1:29AM0.17m | 12:56PM1.08m | 2:09AM0.11m | 1:49PM0.91m | 2:45AM0.10m | 2:35PM0.75m | 3:18AM0.16m | 3:20PM0.62m | 3:48AM0.28m | |||||||
— | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
7:12 | — | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSE 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 17 | SW 11 | SW 9 |
659 | 444 | 627 | 806 | 663 | 1363 | 1303 | 701 | 1462 | 1558 | 1143 | 816 | 757 | 495 | 316 | 250 | 145 | 560 | 288 | 190 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 10 | W 11 | S 12 | W 10 | — | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SSW 16 |
273 | 525 | 512 | 475 | 684 | 24 | 57 | 472 | 17 | — | 50 | 80 | 81 | 129 | 214 | 278 | 419 | 163 | 502 | 430 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 20 | W 12 | WSW 11 | — | — | SW 10 | SSW 21 | SW 22 | W 4 | SW 20 | W 4 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 |
55 | 76 | 91 | 91 | 44 | 15 | 3 | 11 | — | — | 4 | 44 | 18 | 5 | 97 | 5 | 46 | 72 | 71 | 39 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | WNW 11 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | W 3 | W 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — |
8 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 105 | 13 | — | 24 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 97 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 36 | 74 | 97 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










