Surf Forecasts:
Doheney Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 932 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Doheney Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Doheney Beach.
Right now, we’re looking at a pretty lackluster outlook for the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at a balmy 74°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real surprise if you’re used to the usual chill. The first bit of surf worth mentioning is on Friday the 28th of August, but it’s hardly a celebration. We’ve got a small 3ft to 2ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a solid 16-19 second period. That long period means the waves will have some real push to them, and with that very long period, it’s the kind of energy that might make the reef break at Doheney (California) stand up nicely, but the wind is a light cross-onshore which is just enough to ruffle the surface. The combined energy is moderate (510), but the conditions are marginal, so nobody’s getting too excited.
Honestly, the whole first week is a bit of a write-off. Saturday the 29th bumps up slightly to 3ft in the morning with a clean sky, but the wind is still cross-on. By the afternoon, the breeze picks up to 9 mph from the west, turning it cross-shore and the sets hit 4ft. Still, it’s only a combined energy of 894 (moderate) and the conditions are just okay. Through Sunday and into the following week, the swell stays small, mostly under 4ft, and the winds are never favorable enough to really clean it up. The period drops below 15 seconds by Monday, and the energy starts fading to as low as the 200s, so the drive just isn't there.
We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special here. A gap of several days where you'd be fighting for scraps. It’s not until Friday the 4th of September that things perk up a bit, and that’s the standout window. The morning is still a bit messy with onshore wind, but by Friday afternoon we get a WNW cross-offshore wind (9 mph) and clean conditions. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is strong (857). The break is a reef, so that long-period groundswell will wedge up nicely with shape, and it’s exposed to that SSW direction that Doheney loves. The water is still warm and the wind is clean. This is the session to target if you want a chance at a decent wave—just know it’s a beginner-friendly break and can be crowded sometimes. It’s not for experts, but you can get some nice cruisy rides.
Following that, Sunday the 6th of September afternoon looks repeatable with a cleanup again from the WNW at 9 mph, same 3ft swell. Then Monday the 7th of September morning is another clean window with light cross-offshore wind—really tidy— but beware, the afternoon turns ugly as a strong NNW wind hits 16 mph, making it dangerous.
After that, the second week drifts back into limp small waves and shifting crosswinds. The period starts to fatten up and the energy dips into the 200s and 400s, just not worth the paddle for most. All in all, if you’ve only got time for one session, make it the afternoon of Friday the 4th or maybe morning of Monday the 7th of September. Everything else is a flat spell you can sleep through.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri morning, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
347 | 289 | 867 | 580 | 733 | 706 | 537 | 400 | 321 | 259 | 228 | 156 | 143 | 191 | 129 | 210 | 267 | 643 | 419 | 232 | 547 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 10:19AM1.82m | 9:55PM2.09m | 10:42AM1.90m | 10:32PM1.96m | 11:06AM1.97m | 11:12PM1.79m | 11:35AM2.01m | 11:59PM1.59m | 12:08PM2.03m | 1:01AM1.39m | 12:51PM2.03m | 2:44AM1.23m | 1:50PM2.00m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:53PM0.77m | 4:25AM0.38m | 4:33PM0.70m | 4:48AM0.50m | 5:16PM0.66m | 5:12AM0.64m | 6:05PM0.64m | 5:36AM0.79m | 7:06PM0.65m | 6:00AM0.95m | 8:26PM0.65m | 6:26AM1.10m | 10:09PM0.59m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | S 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
347 | 71 | 867 | 580 | 733 | 173 | 164 | 108 | 124 | 259 | 228 | 151 | 143 | 191 | 129 | 210 | 267 | 643 | 419 | 222 | 269 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 14 | S 8 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 4 | W 5 | SW 15 | SSW 18 |
102 | 147 | 33 | 59 | 56 | 706 | 537 | 400 | 321 | 52 | 217 | 156 | 116 | 80 | 68 | 132 | 129 | 9 | 9 | 232 | 547 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SSW 19 | W 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 13 | S 12 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | W 5 | W 6 | W 10 | W 5 | W 5 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | S 13 |
61 | 289 | 23 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 87 | 75 | 84 | 257 | 14 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 40 | 26 | 154 | 231 | 30 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | W 6 | W 5 |
— | — | — | — | 94 | — | — | 173 | — | — | 35 | — | — | 14 | — | 13 | 13 | — | — | 15 | 24 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 74 | 97 | 32 | 97 | 97 | 77 | 76 | 97 | 6 | 76 | 97 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 0 | 77 | 97 | 0 |
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.











