Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Dondra. This reef set-up is your only option in the 16-day window, and it’s a quirky one – this spot is an inconsistent wave, so it takes a certain alignment to get it working. The water’s sitting around average for this time of year, so no major surprises temperature-wise.

The overall pattern is a long, drawn-out run of small to moderate, long-period SSW groundswell. The combined energy levels are mostly moderate to strong (values between 569 and 2737), but the real story is the persistent moderate to fresh cross-off wind from the west. That keeps things clean for the most part, but the swell height and quality are always just “marginal” according to the tide. There’s no standout day that’s head and shoulders above the rest, but if you’re chasing the biggest push, Thursday the 12th of September through the afternoon has the most size – 7ft to 7ft of SSW swell, period around 17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, so on a reef like Dondra, it should set up nicely, but it’s big enough (over 5ft) that it’s not for beginners. The wind is cross-off, so the face will be clean. The combined energy hits 2490–2737, which is strong. That’s the pick of the fortnight.

Before that, Tuesday the 10th of September has a solid 5ft to 5ft SSW swell with a very long 17–18 second period, but the wind is cross-shore in the morning, so there’s a bit of chop. The afternoon cleans up nicely. For the second week, the swell stays consistent but smaller, mostly 3ft–5ft, with the wind staying cross-off. The best of that later period is probably Monday the 23rd of September – a small 3ft to 3ft swell but with a very long 18-second period, meaning long, clean lines on the reef. Combined energy is moderate (940–1064). Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so keep that in mind.

Overall, it’s a slow, steady run with a few little windows of fun. The best bet is that Thursday the 12th of September afternoon for the biggest, cleanest waves.

Rusty.

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