Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the next 16 days for Doheney Beach. It’s a reef break, beginner-friendly, and fairly consistent, but the truth is, we’re in for a real mixed bag. The water temp’s about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are pretty flat and ordinary. Sunday the 19th through to the end of July are all delivering marginal surf, with tiny swell and light cross-on winds that leave a bit of wind ripple. The swell’s hanging around 2 ft to 4 ft, mostly from the S or SSW, with periods fluctuating from 13 to 24 seconds – that longer period stuff is a groundswell, but at these sizes it’s just not enough push. The combined energy’s mostly in the 300 to 800 range, so weak to moderate at best. You’ll be waiting for a set that barely breaks. Not worth suiting up for.

Then we get a bit of a spark. Monday the 27th of July is the first real standout. The swell bumps up to 4 ft from the SSW, with a solid 18-second period, so there’s some proper groundswell energy there. Combined energy jumps to 1202 and 1141, which is moderate to strong. Wind’s a light cross-on breeze, so it’ll be a little bumpy but still rideable. It’s not massive, but it’s the best we’ve seen so far. The direction’s SSW, which is bang on the optimum for this spot, so the reef should line up nicely.

Thursday the 30th of July gets a little more interesting. The swell jumps to 5 ft to 6 ft, coming from the SSE – that’s a notable shift. The period holds at 15 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. Combined energy hits 1630 and 1762, so strong energy. Winds are light cross-on, clean enough. The SSE direction isn’t the optimum for Doheney, but it’ll still wrap in and produce some fun, punchy waves.

But the real standout is Friday the 31st of July. That’s the one. The swell pumps up to 8 ft in the morning and 10 ft in the afternoon, from the S, with a 15 to 16-second period. The combined energy is massive – 3588 and 3510 – that’s very strong, powerful surf. The wind on Friday afternoon goes WNW at 9 mph, which is cross-offshore, and the wave comment says “clean.” That’s the magic window. 10 ft, solid S groundswell, clean conditions – this is an expert-only session. Beginners, stay on the sand. This is gonna be a heavy, powerful reef break, and with that long period, it’ll be quick and deep. The direction is close to the optimum SSW, so it’ll be a proper showcase.

After that, Saturday the 1st of August still has some size, 6 ft to 7 ft from the S and SSW, but the wind goes cross-on and cross-shore, with a bit of chop, so it’s not as clean. The energy drops but still moderate-strong. Then Sunday the 2nd sees a drop-off, down to 5 ft, and by Monday the 3rd it’s back to 2 ft and poor.

So, the best on offer is Friday the 31st of July, especially the afternoon. That’s the one to circle. Monday the 27th is a solid second option for a fun, smaller session. The rest of the window is mostly wait-and-see, with a lot of marginal days. Look, Doheney’s a consistent spot, so it won’t stay flat for long, but this run has a lot of meh before the goods arrive.

Rusty.

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