
Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 17s period, S swell with 2,371 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 11PM. 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 | 11PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Dondra over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. The whole sixteen-day window is a long run of "marginal surf" conditions, and the scores tell me it’s not going to be easy. There’s a lot of wind, and while the swell sticks around, the quality is just not there for the most part. We’ve got a solid run of surf from the 2nd of August right through to the 17th, but don’t expect perfection.
The only true standout, and I mean the only one worth circling on the calendar, is the afternoon of the 15th of August and the following morning on the 16th. We’ve got a moderate breeze from the west, which is cross-offshore, and that’s a huge plus. The water temp is sitting right around 28° with a normal anomaly of 0.7°, so it’s warm, average for the time of year. On the 15th afternoon, we’re looking at 4 ft of swell from the SSW with a period of 18 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The energy is strong at 1694 (moderate to strong). That’s a reef break, so that long period should wrap in nicely. The 16th morning drops a little to 4 ft from the same direction, still clean. Crowds are "sometimes" here, so you might have a few others in the water, but it’s not a zoo.
Now, the rest of the run is hard work. From the 2nd through the 14th, it’s mostly a fresh breeze from the west, cross-off, but the swell directions are all over the shop – from W to SSW to S. The period jumps around from 7 seconds (short period, weak) up to 19 seconds, but the wind is always there, 15 to 19 mph. The energy is moderate to strong (in the 1100 to 2100 range), but it’s never clean enough to make it a good session. On the 14th, the wind even goes cross-shore, creating a chop, which is a real mess.
For the beginner crew, anything over 5 ft can be a handful, and we’ve got plenty of 5 ft, 6 ft, even 7 ft days. That 7 ft on the 2nd August afternoon, with 19 mph cross-off wind and a 10-second period, is going to be a washing machine. Not the place to learn.
Honestly, if you’re not hitting the window on the 15th and 16th, you’re looking at a lot of average days. The wind is relentless, and while the swell is there, the quality is marginal. For the kite crew, with that strong cross-off wind and decent swell, Dondra might actually look more interesting for you than for us paddle guys on most days.
Keep your eyes on the long-range for the 15th and 16th – it’s promising, but not locked in.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 26°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | S 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
902 | 543 | 426 | 430 | 1003 | 998 | 974 | 845 | 736 | 959 | 1929 | 1450 | 1531 | 871 | 1057 | 1042 | 969 | 1863 | 1275 | 1571 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | 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 | 4:21PM0.52m | 4:55AM0.52m | 4:47PM0.48m | 5:25AM0.51m | 5:14PM0.44m | 5:59AM0.48m | 5:40PM0.38m | 6:40AM0.45m | 6:07PM0.33m | 7:44AM0.41m | 6:31PM0.27m | 10:23AM0.39m | 00:37AM0.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:37PM0.01m | 10:55AM0.10m | 11:01PM0.03m | 11:29AM0.13m | 11:25PM0.06m | 12:08PM0.17m | 11:52PM0.10m | 12:59PM0.21m | 00:21AM0.15m | 3:03PM0.26m | 1:06AM0.20m | 7:02PM0.21m | 5:11AM0.23m | |||||||
— | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
6:24 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | |
mm | 2 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 28 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | S 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 16 | S 15 | S 16 |
431 | 385 | 146 | 394 | 1003 | 998 | 974 | 845 | 736 | 580 | 1929 | 1450 | 1531 | 871 | 1057 | 1042 | 620 | 1863 | 1275 | 1571 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 22 | SSW 21 | SSW 19 | — | S 10 | — | S 11 | S 18 | S 18 | S 17 | — | S 18 | S 19 |
227 | 180 | 367 | 98 | 42 | 28 | 18 | 156 | 566 | 959 | — | 116 | — | 220 | 670 | 642 | 969 | — | 301 | 109 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SE 9 | — | S 24 | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | S 20 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 14 | — | — | — |
22 | 12 | 181 | 280 | 3 | — | 11 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 190 | 25 | 25 | 4 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 10 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 7 |
902 | 543 | 426 | 430 | 580 | 442 | 505 | 421 | 567 | 567 | 373 | 415 | 482 | 480 | 385 | 384 | 352 | 317 | 265 | 371 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 125 | 395 | 746 | 167 | 175 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 175 | 167 | 174 | 175 | 167 | 1205 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 |
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.











