Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty.

Alright, let’s be straight with you—Dondra is our only game in town for this 16-day stretch, and it’s a classic reef setup that’s exposed to the southwest. The water is sitting at 28°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit worries. The big picture? We’ve got a solid run of SSW groundswell, but it’s always a bit of a gamble with the conditions. The first few days are plagued by risk tstorms and moderate winds, which take the shine off, but the swell energy is building.

Wednesday the 26th kicks off with a 4 ft SSW swell, period a very long 16 seconds, and cross-off wind from the WSW. The wave energy is moderate (969) but the morning has that risk tstorm vibe. It’s clean, but only just marginal. Afternoon picks up a touch more energy (1007) and stays clean. Thursday the 27th sees the swell jump to 6 ft, same long period of 17 seconds, and energy roaring to 2855—that’s strong. But the morning wind is cross-shore, leaving a chop, so better wait for the afternoon cross-off when it’s clean again at 5 ft. Friday the 28th holds similar size, 5-5 ft, with energy still strong (1104-1016), but again the morning is messy, afternoon is the go.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 29th is a bit of a drop-off—4 ft, 13-second period, energy dropping to 649-765—but it’s clean all day. Sunday the 30th, however, brings a standout: the morning has a 4 ft swell with a very long 19-second period, energy 1587, and the afternoon pumps to 6 ft at 18 seconds, energy 2150. Winds are cross-off from the W, and it’s clear skies. That Sunday afternoon is the best of the whole run—clean, strong groundswell, and that long period means the reef will be shaping up nicely. Dondra is inconsistent, so this is a rare moment to get in.

Monday the 31st keeps the energy high—8 ft morning, 7 ft afternoon, 17-18 second period, energy over 3300. But that’s getting big for a reef, definitely one for the experienced crew. The wind is still cross-off, so it’s clean, but the size and that long period might make it a bit of a handful. Tuesday 1st September is still solid at 7 ft, easing off through the week.

From Wednesday 2nd September onward, the swell gradually drops from 5-5 ft, period getting shorter into the 14-13 second range, energy down to moderate. Winds stay cross-off mostly, keeping it clean, but it’s more of a fun-sized wave. The real drop-off hits around 5th September—swell drops to 4 ft, period 10 seconds, and the energy is weak (466-560). The wind turns cross-shore, and the surf quality goes poor. There’s a few days of flat, weak junk from 5th to 8th September, with the odd clean session on the 8th afternoon (3 ft, 19-second period, energy 638). Then 9th and 10th September see a slight pickup to 4-5 ft, but the period’s back to 15-17 seconds, and the wind is cross-off in the afternoons, so it’s clean but not pumping.

Bottom line: Sunday 30th August afternoon is the standout—go then. Monday 31st for the big-wave hunters. The rest is a mixed bag of clean but marginal surf, with a flat patch in the middle of the second week.

Rusty.

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