Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Over the next couple of weeks, Dondra is in a bit of a holding pattern. The waves are there, but they’re gonna be marginal a lot of the time. The wind is a steady cross-offshore from the west, which keeps the surface clean, but the swell just doesn’t have the punch we’re looking for. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

Let’s start with the first real action. Right now, on Thursday the 9th of July, we’ve got a 5 ft swell rolling in from the west, with a middling period of 11 seconds. The energy is strong though, with a reading of 1512, and the surface is clean. It’s not a total standout, but it’s the best of the bunch for the early part. The swell direction is west, but Dondra wants it from the southwest for its best shape. It’s a reef break, so it can handle the energy, but it’s inconsistent, so you’ll be sitting and waiting. Crowds are possible. This is for intermediate surfers.

Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are similar, with 5 ft to 5 ft surf, mostly west and southwest swell, still clean. The energy is still strong, bouncing between 1055 and 1525, but the scores are still just marginal. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

By Sunday the 12th, the swell bumps up a bit to 5 ft, period drops to 9-10 seconds, and the energy takes a dive to 810. Still clean, but the wave quality is fading. Monday the 13th is more of the same, with the period down to 8 seconds in the morning – that’s short period, weak, choppy-feeling stuff. The afternoon shows a little life with a 4 ft south swell, 12-second period, energy 1014. It’s the better bet for that day.

The middle of the week, Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th, sees a drop in size to 3 ft to 5 ft, but the period gets long – 15 to 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy is still moderate, between 753 and 1063. This is a classic Dondra setup: that long-period SSW groundswell is the optimum direction, so the waves will have good shape. But because it’s a reef break, that long period can make it a bit fast and straight. You’ll get clean, lined-up waves, but the wait between sets will be longer. This is the best window of the whole forecast.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Thursday the 16th of July through to Sunday the 20th, the swell is small, mostly 2 ft to 4 ft. The energy drops to 430 and 495 on some days, which is weak. The wind stays cross-offshore, but for a few days it turns more cross-shore, putting a little chop on the surface. There’s a risk of thunderstorms on the 20th and 21st. Not a lot happening here.

On Monday the 21st of July, the swell picks back up to 5 ft from the south, with a 16-second period, energy 1149. That’s a solid, clean south groundswell again. The wind is still cross-off, but the thunderstorm risk early could mess with the vibe. The 22nd holds similar, 4 ft to 4 ft, clean, but the energy is lower. For the very end of the window, the 23rd and 24th of July, the swell goes back to 6 ft from the west, period 10 seconds, and the wind picks up to 30 km/h. It’s clean, but the period is short, and the energy is moderate. That’s a big, lumpy, less exciting wave.

The real standout here is the Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th of July. That’s the window of long-period SSW groundswell, clean conditions, and decent energy. It’s the best chance for a proper session, but don’t expect it to be pumping. It’s a reef break, so it’s fickle, but when it’s on, it’s on.

All in all, Dondra is a bit of a waiting game for the next two weeks. The consistency is low, and the quality is marginal. But if you pick your days around the 14th and 15th, you might get something worthwhile.

- Rusty

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