Doheney Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.46° N 117.68° W

Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Doheney Beach sea temperature is
21.6° C
1.9° 

Doheney Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Doheney Beach surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, S swell with 1,352 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. 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 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 22nd Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 13s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 28th Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 18s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 26th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Doheney Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

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

First off, the water temp is running 71°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing extreme, but you can definitely feel that little extra bit of warmth on a quiet morning.

Right now, the surf is small. We’re talking knee-high stuff at best, with some weak energy readings (203) Friday afternoon. Not much to get excited about, but there is a glimmer on the horizon. The standout for the whole outlook is Saturday, 29 August afternoon. That’s when things start to line up. You’ve got a clean 4ft swell coming from the SSW with a period of 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, meaning good shape and plenty of push. Winds are light from the WNW, going cross-offshore. That will leave the surface glassy and smooth. The combined energy will be strong at 755, and the break is an exposed reef that loves a SSW direction. This is the session to aim for – it’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and lined up. Crowds can be an issue here, so get in early.

Leading up to that, Sunday 25 August afternoon also looks tidy with a clean 2ft SW swell and cross-off winds, but it’s smaller. The 26 August brings a pulse of bigger S swell – 5ft Wednesday morning building to 6ft that afternoon – but the wind is onshore from the S or SSE. That’ll make things a bit bumpy and blown out, so not ideal for a clean ride.

After that 29 August peak, the surf stays rideable right through to the end of the first week of September, but nothing really jumps out as perfect. The 4th and 5th of September see a solid increase in size – hitting 8ft on the 5th – but it’s all cross-on winds and the period drops to 14 seconds. At that size, it’s getting too big for beginners, and honestly, with onshores, it might be more interesting for the kite crew than the paddle crew.

The last few days of the outlook fade back into small, weak swell with periods around 13 to 16 seconds, but mostly onshore or cross-shore flow. The 3rd of September afternoon has some moderate energy (1224) with a 5ft SSE swell, but cross-on winds keep it from being a standout.

Bottom line: If you’ve got one session to chase, make it Saturday 29 August afternoon at Doheney. Clean conditions, long-period groundswell, and a reef that knows what to do with it. Everything else is a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
0
1
2
1
2
2
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.7
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
14
0.4
SW
19
0.5
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
1
S
14
1.4
S
13
1.9
S
14
1.3
S
12
1.3
S
12
1.1
S
11
0.9
S
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
137
98
92
188
218
127
155
213
197
179
224
216
208
366
663
1352
513
449
274
178
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
0
ESE
10
WSW
10
W
0
SW
10
WSW
15
WNW
5
WNW
10
W
10
W
5
SSE
10
W
10
W
10
SSE
15
SSE
15
S
15
SE
10
SSW
10
S
5
S
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
High Tide
5:08PM1.83m
8:30AM1.43m
6:10PM1.91m
8:44AM1.49m
6:57PM2.01m
9:00AM1.55m
7:36PM2.10m
9:18AM1.61m
8:12PM2.17m
9:37AM1.67m
8:46PM2.20m
9:57AM1.75m
9:20PM2.17m
Low Tide
1:12AM0.53m
11:58AM1.32m
1:49AM0.43m
12:52PM1.24m
2:20AM0.34m
1:32PM1.15m
2:48AM0.27m
2:07PM1.04m
3:14AM0.24m
2:41PM0.94m
3:38AM0.25m
3:17PM0.85m
4:02AM0.29m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:30
7:29
7:27
7:25
7:24
7:23
7:22
 mm
Temp °C
23
23
25
25
24
26
26
24
25
26
24
26
26
25
25
25
24
24
24
24
Feels °C
24
26
27
26
25
26
26
25
26
26
26
26
25
26
25
25
24
26
24
26
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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