Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Dondra.

Right off the bat, the outlook is a bit of a slow cooker. The surf is small and the conditions are marginal to start, so you won’t be scrambling for your board on Sunday. There’s a bit of a wait for things to get properly interesting.

We start with a couple of quiet days. Sunday the 16th has a weak 4ft to 4ft SSE swell with a period of 11 seconds. The wind is a cross-shore mess in the morning, cleaning up a touch in the arvo, but the energy is just not there. It’s a skinny, frustrating kind of day.

Monday the 17th flirts with a long-period groundswell, but it’s still small – around 2ft to 3ft coming from the SSW. You can feel the pulse, but it’s all foam and no push. The water temp is 81°, which is about average for the time of year, so no drama in a spring suit.

Now, the tap turns on from Tuesday the 18th. We get a proper pulse of SSW energy that pushes the surf up to a solid 8ft. The period is a meaty 19 seconds, so this is a real groundswell. The combined energy jumps right up to 4405, which is strong and full of push. The wind is cross-offshore from the west, keeping the faces clean. This is the standout of the whole run – the best mix of size, period, and wind we’re going to see. This is the day to make the most of it.

Wednesday the 19th holds in nicely with 7ft of SSW swell, period dropping to a still-solid 17 seconds. Energy is high at 3847 and the conditions are clean. It’s a ripper, but maybe just a notch behind Tuesday for the pick of the week.

From Thursday the 20th, the swell starts its slow fade. We still have 8ft in the morning, but the period drops to 16 seconds and the energy backs off a bit. It’s still good, but the magic of the long period is going. By Friday, we’re down to 5ft to 5ft, and the weekend sees a further drop to the 5ft to 6ft range. It’s all rideable, clean, but not as powerful.

The second week, from the 24th onwards, is mostly in the 4ft to 6ft range. There’s a slight kick around the 26th with a 6ft SSW swell, but it’s nothing compared to that Tuesday/Wednesday window. Conditions stay mostly clean, which is a blessing, but the energy is moderate at best. Things do taper off again towards the end of the month, and that final stretch from the 28th onwards is looking pretty ho-hum.

Dondra is a reef break, so these longer-period swells (15 seconds plus) are going to be your friend. They’ll wrap in nicely and give you some proper lines, but a beachy might get a bit straight. Keep that in mind. The swell direction is SSW, which is right in the sweet spot for the spot.

Crowds are a possibility here, so get in early if you want a clean one. It’s inconsistent, so be patient and pick your waves.

So, to sum it up: Don’t get too excited for the first couple of days. The gold is on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of August. Those are your big, clean, powerful days on a long-period SSW groundswell. The rest is a fun, but less epic, run of south swell.

Rusty out.

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