
Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period, W swell with 1,122 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dondra this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Dondra in the next 16 days are 2.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on offer for the upcoming swell window down at Dondra. It's a reef break, and it's inconsistent, so we need to pick our moments.
Right off the bat, we've got some waves rolling in, but the story here isn't about today. The first few days, starting Friday July 3rd, we're seeing a mix of 3ft to 6ft SSW and W swells, but the wind is a steady cross-offshore from the west at 15-18 mph. It's keeping things clean, but the wave energy sits in the moderate range (around 621-863). Honestly, it's surfable but nothing to write home about. The water temp is 83°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The real action starts to build from Sunday July 5th afternoon. That W swell picks up a little, period stretches to 10 seconds, and the combined energy climbs (919). Still, we're waiting.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday July 7th afternoon is the first real standout. The swell jumps to 6ft from the W, period at 10 seconds, and the combined energy shoots up to 1222 (moderate to strong energy). We’re looking at a solid, clean wave with that cross-off west wind.
But if you can wait, the peak of this window is from Wednesday July 8th through Friday July 10th. Wednesday afternoon sees 6ft W swell with an 11-second period and energy hitting 1455. Thursday July 9th afternoon is the absolute top pick: 7ft of clean W swell, 11-second period, and combined energy of 1819 (strong energy). That's proper groundswell – long-period, powerful, and it'll be lining up nicely on the reef. This is for experienced surfers; at 7ft, it's getting solid. The Friday July 10th holds similar quality at 6ft. The wind stays cross-offshore the whole time. It’s not glassy, but it’s clean.
After that weekend, the swell slowly drops through the second week, from 6ft on Saturday July 11th down to 5ft by Monday July 13th. The energy stays moderate, and the wind holds. It's still decent, but nothing beats that Thursday-Friday combo.
Then, from Tuesday July 14th, the swell direction shifts more SSW and the wind swings WSW, going cross-shore with a bit of chop. The wave heights drop to 3ft to 5ft. It gets a little messier, and the energy dips. We get a few cleaner windows on Wednesday July 15th and Friday July 17th afternoons, but the magic is gone.
The last few days, into Saturday July 18th, we're back to smaller, cleaner SSW swells, but the energy is weak (528-655). It's a slow fade-out.
The Best Bet: Thursday July 9th afternoon. 7ft W swell, 11-second period, solid strong energy (1819), and clean cross-off wind. That's the one to point your board at. Just remember, Dondra is inconsistent, so good days like that are worth the wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 16 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
468 | 449 | 347 | 274 | 290 | 323 | 400 | 484 | 494 | 484 | 408 | 494 | 318 | 627 | 639 | 716 | 716 | 683 | 898 | 994 | 1084 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:12PM0.52m | 4:52AM0.44m | 4:42PM0.50m | 5:27AM0.44m | 5:13PM0.47m | 6:05AM0.44m | 5:48PM0.42m | 6:49AM0.44m | 6:27PM0.37m | 7:46AM0.43m | 7:21PM0.32m | 9:05AM0.43m | 9:02PM0.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:02AM0.12m | 10:42PM0.04m | 10:37AM0.13m | 11:10PM0.05m | 11:15AM0.15m | 11:40PM0.07m | 11:58AM0.17m | 00:12AM0.09m | 12:53PM0.20m | 00:49AM0.12m | 2:12PM0.22m | 1:39AM0.15m | 4:15PM0.23m | 3:00AM0.18m | |||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | WNW 11 | SSE 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
468 | 449 | 347 | 261 | 152 | 143 | 143 | 140 | 143 | 143 | 140 | 135 | 161 | 96 | 334 | 459 | 615 | 497 | 367 | 696 | 557 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 16 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
153 | 95 | 128 | 125 | 264 | 115 | 200 | 211 | 173 | 245 | 226 | 220 | 318 | 279 | 94 | 75 | 103 | 137 | 330 | 73 | 75 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 9 | SW 21 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | — | WNW 12 | S 18 | SSE 9 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | SW 18 | S 17 | SSE 9 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
— | 12 | 18 | 117 | 112 | 211 | 120 | 84 | 88 | — | 56 | 58 | 124 | 220 | 190 | 205 | 50 | 351 | 96 | 56 | 33 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 7 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 12 |
181 | 225 | 270 | 274 | 290 | 323 | 400 | 484 | 494 | 484 | 408 | 494 | 154 | 627 | 639 | 716 | 716 | 683 | 898 | 994 | 1084 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 174 | 174 | 175 | 167 | 167 | 41 | 167 | 174 | 175 | 167 | 174 | 175 | 167 | 174 | 175 | 167 | 167 | 167 | 895 | 174 | 174 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Dondra Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Dondra provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Dondra can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Dondra 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 (Dondra) 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 Dondra 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.
Dondra is 8 km (5 miles) from Matara. If you plan a holiday in West Sri Lanka, look for hotels and other accommodation in Matara. Matara has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










