Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Honestly, it’s a slow start and a pretty quiet run overall. The first few days offer nothing but tiny, weak waves and onshore winds, so don’t bother paddling out until we get past the middle of next week. The real story is a long stretch of marginal, inconsistent surf with only a few moments that almost get interesting.

Right now, Doheney Beach is a reef break that’s fairly consistent. The water is sitting at 70°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4°F above average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

The first real bump in the road comes around Sunday, July 19th. We’ve got a pulse of swell hitting 5ft from the S, with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is moderate but on the lower side (1492). Winds are light cross-onshore, so it’s not clean, but it’s surfable. The swell direction is S, which is not the optimum SSW the break likes, so shape will be a bit off. This is really a beginner-friendly size, but the quality is just marginal.

The standout window, if you can call it that, looks to be around Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th. On Saturday morning, we see 5ft from the SSW, with a period of 13 seconds and a solid energy reading (1771). Winds are from the S, which is onshore, so it’s a bit bumpy. Not perfect, but the biggest push of the period. The next day, Sunday the 26th, drops back to 3ft but the period stretches to 19 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell. Combined energy is still decent at 1272, and winds are light cross-onshore. This long period stuff will offer better shaped waves and longer gaps between sets, which helps with paddling out, but at a beach break it can be a bit straight. Still, it’s the cleanest looking window of the whole forecast.

After that, the swell fades fast. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th hold onto 4ft from the SSW with light winds, but it’s all marginal. By Wednesday the 29th, we’re back to dropping, with onshore winds and poor conditions. The last few days of July look small and weak again.

Expect a lot of waiting around. The first week is mostly a write-off, and the second week offers only a couple of days that are worth a look, but nothing that will get your heart racing. Crowds are often an issue here, and with the lack of quality, even the better days will feel busy.

Rusty.

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