Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a slow and frustrating start. For the first three days, the surf is just too weak and messy to get excited about. The waves are small, the wind is mostly onshore, and the energy is almost non-existent. We’ve got a gap of quiet, poor surf until things start to show a pulse.

The first real chance to get a wave comes on Saturday the 18th. It’s still not great, but the swell starts to build. Doheney Beach picks up a 3ft SSW swell with a fairly long period of 18 seconds. The wind is light cross-onshore, making it a bit crumbly. The combined energy hits 487 (moderate), but it’s still a marginal session at best. The water is a very unusual 70°F, which is 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year.

The weekend improves a little, with Sunday afternoon the 19th offering the best of the early window. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the S with a 12-second period, and the combined energy climbs to 1023 (strong). The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s clean enough, but it’s still not a standout.

The real standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Wednesday the 23rd of July. The morning shows a solid 6ft S swell, with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 1525 (very strong). The wind is light cross-onshore, keeping the face reasonably clean. This is the biggest swell of the forecast, and it’s packing some serious punch. The size makes it one for the experienced crew; beginners will be in over their heads. The later afternoon is slightly smaller at 6ft, but still a good option.

Into the second week, the pattern holds. The 24th and 25th still have good size, with 6ft and 5ft S/SSW swells, but the wind is a bit more onshore or cross-onshore, so the quality drops a notch. The combined energy stays strong, well over 1300, so there’s plenty of push. By the 26th, the swell eases but the period stretches out to 19 seconds, which is a very long period groundswell. That’s prone to closing out the beach break, but it’ll have a ton of energy.

Overall, Doheney is a fairly consistent reef break, so it usually manages to pick up something. Crowds are often an issue, especially when the size jumps up, so expect company on the 23rd. The best bet is that Wednesday morning – it’s the biggest, most powerful swell of the run, and despite the light cross-onshore wind, it’s the one to go for.

Rusty.

Read more