Surf Forecasts:
Doheney Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 382 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. 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 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Doheney Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, with a look at what's coming down the pipe for Doheney Beach.
To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty marginal. This is a classic run of small, inconsistent surf, so don't expect any fireworks. The water is sitting around 72°, which is a good 5° warmer than average for this time of year – pretty noticeable, you'll be comfortable in a shorty or even just boardshorts on the warmer afternoons. The combined swell energy is mostly moderate, sitting between 100 and 500, so nothing with any real punch.
We start off on the 18th of August with a small 2ft SSW groundswell at 17 seconds. That's a long period, which usually means good shape for the reef here, and the light cross-shore breeze will keep things clean enough. It’s small, though, and the energy is weak (394). The next few days through the 20th see the swell sticking around the 3ft to 3ft mark from the SSW, but the wind turns onshore out of the south, making for some bumpy conditions. Honestly, the quality just isn't there.
The 21st and 22nd are even smaller, dropping to 2ft, and we’ve got a mix of onshore and cross-shore breezes. It's pretty bleak. There's a bit of a pulse on the 23rd with a 2ft SSW swell, but the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds. For a beach and reef setup like this, that kind of period can make the waves break too straight, so it's a caveat. Still light winds, but nothing to get excited about.
The pattern continues through the end of August and into the first of September with waves hovering between 2ft and 3ft. The best of a bad bunch might be the 28th of August afternoon where a 2ft SSW swell combines with a 19-second period for a solid 482 energy reading. But it's still light cross-onshore, keeping the surface a little bumpy.
Now, the standout window, such as it is, falls on the 29th of August. We do see a small bump in size to 4ft to 4ft from the SSW. The period is a decent 16 to 17 seconds, and the energy pushes up into the moderate-to-stronger range at 744 to 795. The wind on the Saturday morning is light and onshore, but the Saturday afternoon looks better with a light cross-onshore breeze. This is your best bet if you're eager – the bigger, longer-period swell will offer the most push on the reef, even if it isn't clean perfection. Crowds are "often" here, so expect company on what will likely be the only rideable waves of the week.
After that, we drift right back into the 2ft to 3ft range through the 2nd of September, with the usual light breezes. The overall outlook is pretty quiet, but as we know, it rarely stays poor for long around here. Hang tight.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat morning, min 23°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
243 | 246 | 377 | 314 | 246 | 239 | 236 | 173 | 139 | 137 | 98 | 90 | 165 | 218 | 127 | 155 | 213 | 197 | 179 | 224 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:28AM1.21m | 2:36PM1.83m | 3:49PM1.80m | 8:27AM1.36m | 5:08PM1.83m | 8:30AM1.43m | 6:10PM1.91m | 8:44AM1.49m | 6:57PM2.01m | 9:00AM1.55m | 7:36PM2.10m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 9:19PM0.80m | 7:04AM1.13m | 11:01PM0.75m | 00:21AM0.65m | 10:10AM1.35m | 1:12AM0.53m | 11:58AM1.32m | 1:49AM0.43m | 12:52PM1.24m | 2:20AM0.34m | 1:32PM1.15m | 2:48AM0.27m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | W 6 |
53 | 246 | 377 | 314 | 246 | 239 | 236 | 173 | 139 | 137 | 98 | 32 | 165 | 218 | 99 | 98 | 213 | 197 | 179 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 10 | W 6 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 6 | S 13 | SW 17 |
243 | 48 | 57 | 41 | 23 | 17 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 90 | 20 | 48 | 18 | 155 | 199 | 24 | 82 | 224 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | S 9 | SW 20 | S 8 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 12 | S 15 | S 13 |
98 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 31 | 57 | 57 | 8 | 81 | 50 | 47 | 50 | 27 | 58 | 127 | 15 | 12 | 89 | 68 | 126 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 97 | 0 | 66 | 194 | 3 | 76 | 97 | 7 | 74 | 97 | 0 | 74 | 97 | 0 | 74 | 131 | 0 | 74 | 97 | 6 |
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.











