Dominical Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag coming our way for Dominical over the next couple of weeks. Right now, the swell is tiny and the conditions are pretty ordinary, but don’t write it off just yet—there’s a solid pulse of energy building in the second week that could make things interesting.

The water is sitting at a warm 86°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit or just boardshorts.

We kick off with a slow start. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are offering ankle-to-knee-high waves at 1ft from the SW. The period is a long 15 to 16 seconds, which means there’s some groundswell character, but the size is just not there. The wind is glassy in the mornings, which is nice, but the energy is low (combined energy around 120 to 152). It’s surfable, but you’ll be fighting for scraps. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Thursday the 27th sees a bit of a bump in the morning with 3ft SW swell, but the period drops to a short 7 seconds. That’s a weak, jumbled windswell, and combined energy is only 192. The wind is still glassy early, but the quality is ordinary. The afternoons stay messy with cross-onshore winds, so don’t plan on a session then.

The real action starts to hint at itself on Friday the 28th. The combined energy jumps to 410 and 435, but the swell is only 2ft with a long 19-second period. That’s a lot of energy for a small wave. It’s a sign of better things to come, but the wind is cross-onshore in the morning and onshore in the afternoon, so it’s more of a tease than a takeoff.

The standout window opens Saturday the 29th. This is the one to circle. The morning brings 3ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and combined energy surges to 558. Wind is glassy. The afternoon sees 4ft SW swell, still 16 seconds, and energy peaks at 700. The wind holds glassy. This is very good surf—clean, lined-up, and with enough push for an advanced crew. Dominical is a consistent, exposed beach break, and with the swell coming from the S-SW (which matches the optimum direction), expect some nice, long rides. This is a serious contender for the best of the forecast.

Sunday the 30th keeps the momentum. Morning again has 4ft SW swell at 14 seconds, energy at 570, and glassy wind. The afternoon gets a bit more onshore, so the morning session is the pick. The combined energy is strong, and the waves should be punchy and fun.

Monday the 31st is a bit of a reset. The morning is cross-onshore with 3ft SW swell, but the afternoon turns glassy again with the same size and better energy (476). You can get a session in, but it’s not as good as the weekend.

Tuesday, September 1st, and Wednesday, September 2nd, offer small but clean conditions. 2ft to 2ft SW swell, with glassy mornings and calm winds. Combined energy is moderate (around 210 to 292). Good for a longboard or a funboard, but nothing to get too excited about.

Then, the second standout: Friday, September 4th, and Saturday, September 5th. This is the real long-range promise. On Friday morning, the swell jumps to 3ft SW with a 17-second period, and combined energy rockets to 771. The wind is glassy. Saturday morning is the peak: 4ft SW swell, 16-second period, and energy at 914. Wind is glassy again. This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the forecast. At 4ft, it’s still manageable for more advanced surfers, but that energy is strong. The afternoon on both days holds at 4ft to 4ft, still glassy. This is a proper groundswell pulse, and if the direction holds, Dominical will be pumping.

Sunday, September 6th, through to Tuesday, September 9th, the swell slowly fades from 4ft down to 2ft, but the period stays long (14 to 18 seconds). Morning winds are mostly glassy or calm, so there are still clean, fun waves to be had, but the energy drops off. It’s a nice way to wind down the forecast.

There’s a gap of a few days in the middle—around September 2nd to 3rd—where the surf is small and ordinary, but the overall pattern is optimistic. The two standout periods are the weekend of August 29th-30th and the weekend of September 4th-5th. If you can only pick one, go for that Saturday, September 5th morning—that’s the one with the most power and the cleanest conditions.

Rusty.

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