Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Doheney Beach over the next couple of weeks.

The water is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, 71°F to be precise, which is a couple of degrees above average and feels pretty nice. We’re starting off with a whole lot of nothing, unfortunately. The first few days are a write-off for any decent sessions. The swell is tiny and the wind is all over the place, mostly onshore or cross. The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday, the 23rd of August, in the afternoon. We’ve got a clean window with a light cross-offshore breeze from the west at 9 mph, and the swell is small but clean, about 2 ft from the SW with a long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy is low (303), but for a point break setup, that long period groundswell will actually wrap in nicely and offer up some shape. It’s nothing to get too excited about, but it’s the first decent surf all week.

The standout period, and the best on offer across the whole outlook, is a stretch from the 26th of August through to the 4th of September. The conditions start to get interesting on Wednesday the 26th with a jump in swell. The 27th of August, Thursday morning, sees a solid 5 ft swell from the SSW with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1018), so there’s proper power in the water. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but that’s a solid wall for a reef break. This is expert territory, but it’s pumping.

The real highlight, though, is the 3rd and 4th of September. On Thursday the 3rd of September, the afternoon goes glassy, with a light westerly breeze and a clean 3 ft SW groundswell rolling in at a very long period of 20 seconds. The energy is moderate (642), but the wind is dead calm. That’s a recipe for perfection. Then Friday the 4th of September, the morning takes the cake: glassy conditions, zero wind, and a 4 ft SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds. The combined energy is strong (994) and it’s going to be clean as a whistle. The only downside is that this is a reef break that can get crowded, and with that quality of surf, you can expect company. For a beginner, that 4 ft is fine, but anything over 5 ft starts to get serious, and you’ll see bigger sets on these days.

There’s a big gap of poor surf from the 30th of August through the 2nd of September, with onshore winds and messy conditions, so don’t bother. The second week offers a couple of nice windows, but the 3rd and 4th are the real standouts. Keep your fingers crossed for that forecast to hold.

Rusty.

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