Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it. We've got a solid run of waves on the cards, but it's not all smooth sailing. We'll be looking at plenty of days with size on offer, but the wind is going to be the real talking point.

The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Monday and Tuesday are blown out by a decent cross-shore breeze, making a mess of things. We do start seeing some clean conditions creeping in from Wednesday afternoon, but the real action starts kicking off towards the end of the week and into the weekend.

Now, the standout period is looking like Thursday 10th through to Saturday 13th. The swell is building from the SSW, and we're seeing some proper size with that clean, cross-off wind. The energy in the water is climbing from moderate to strong (1372-2688). That long period, 16-18 second groundswell is going to produce some powerful, well-shaped lines.

The best bet in that window is Dondra itself. On Thursday afternoon, we’re looking at a clean 4.9 ft from the SSW with a 17-second period. The moderate breeze is off-shore, so the face will be clean. Friday morning is another good shout with 4.9 ft and a 15-second period, also clean. But the pick of the bunch is Saturday the 12th. Both morning and afternoon have a solid 6.6 ft of SSW swell with a 17-18 second period, and that cross-off wind is keeping it clean. The wave energy is ramping up into the strong category (2653-2688), so you'll feel the push. Dondra is a reef break, so that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely and give you some proper shape. Just keep in mind it can be inconsistent, and the crowds show up here sometimes, so get out there early.

The following week gets a bit more mixed. The second half of Monday the 14th looks okay with 5.2 ft and clean conditions, but Tuesday and Wednesday are still decent with consistent 4.3 ft to 5.6 ft SSW swells and that offshore wind. The energy remains strong (1462-1804).

However, we hit a bit of a wild card around the 17th, 18th and 19th of September. The swell is still big, up to 8.2 ft on the 19th, but the wind swings back to a messy cross-shore. This is expert territory here; anything over 8.2 ft at a reef break with lumpy conditions is not for the faint-hearted. For the bigger days with a cross-shore wind, this setup might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The very end of the outlook, around the 21st and 22nd, is promising but it's far out. We're looking at a huge, very long-period swell (20-23 seconds) from the SSW, with massive energy values (2258-3901). If that cross-off wind holds, it could be the best of the whole run, but it's two weeks away so don't book the time off just yet.

So, to sum it up: for the best all-round conditions with clean surf and good size, aim for Saturday the 12th. That's the standout. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Stay safe.

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