
Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SSW swell with 906 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dondra this week:
The surf forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.2m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dondra in the next 16 days are 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what this stretch of water has in store for us. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with only one spot on the radar.
Overall, it’s gonna be a frustrating run for the most part. We’re looking at a solid, persistent pulse of swell rolling in off the West and then shifting south, but the quality just ain’t there for a lot of it. The conditions are dominated by a consistent moderate breeze from the West which is cross-offshore here, keeping things clean in the water but never quite hitting that glassy, perfect note. The water temperature is sitting at 83°F with a anomaly of just 0.4°, so it’s bang on average for this time of year – nice and warm, no surprises there.
Let’s break it down. The first week, starting Wednesday July 8th, we’ve got moderate wave energy (1318) pushing through with swell around 5 ft to 5 ft from the West and SSW. The period is a mix of short 11 second and a nice long 14 to 16 second groundswell, but despite that energy, the forecast labels it as marginal. The breeze is constant cross-off, but the tide or something else is just off. It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. Thursday the 9th sees energy creep up (1512 to 1565) with that 16 second period on the SSW swell, giving it some proper punch, but again, the call is marginal. Friday the 10th through Sunday the 12th is more of the same – energy bouncing between 1055 and 1495, swell holding around 5 ft to 5 ft, but the quality flags stay low. You’ll get waves, but they won’t be special.
Then we hit a bit of a lull from Monday the 13th through to the end of the first week and into the second. The swell drops a little, going down to 3 ft to 4 ft, with energy falling below 1000 for a few days and even down to 528 on Friday the 17th. The period stays long from the South and SSW, which is a good sign for shape, but the wave state is either “poor” or “marginal” at best. On Friday the 17th morning, the wind swings to a cross-shore WSW at 16 mph, putting a cross-chop on the surface – that’s not what you want. Saturday the 18th morning has the same issue. It’s a scrappy few days.
But hold on. If you’ve got patience, there’s a light at the end of this tunnel. Look at Monday the 20th of July. After the wind settles back to cross-off on the 19th, the energy really fires up. Monday afternoon sees a jump to 2158 (moderate to strong energy) with a 6 ft swell from the South at a 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The breeze is still cross-off from the West at 16 mph, keeping things clean. Now, 6 ft at a beach break with that long period might wall up and close out, but at a reef setup like Dondra, that’s where it shines. That’s your standout session right there. It’s over a week out, so don’t set your watch by it, but it’s the one to keep an eye on. Tuesday the 21st still has solid energy at 1412 with 5 ft from the SSW, but the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph in the morning. It stays surfable but won’t match Monday’s potential.
After that, the energy tapers off again through the 22nd and 23rd, with swell dropping to 4 ft to 4 ft and energy back under 1000. It’s back to that marginal, frustrating rhythm.
The crowds here can be an issue sometimes, so expect some company when the good stuff lines up. And remember, this spot is inconsistent and rarely breaks to begin with, so when it has a pulse like Monday the 20th, you take it seriously.
So, bottom line: a long dry spell of average to poor conditions, then a promising but uncertain window around Monday the 20th. If you’re a patient local, pencil that one in and hope the forecast holds. Otherwise, it’s a tough couple of weeks.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | S 12 | W 7 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
573 | 711 | 497 | 576 | 894 | 784 | 778 | 778 | 610 | 507 | 535 | 502 | 474 | 463 | 347 | 271 | 396 | 472 | 380 | 431 | 402 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | 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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:21PM0.32m | 9:05AM0.43m | 9:02PM0.28m | 10:42AM0.44m | 11:27PM0.28m | 12:05PM0.46m | 00:51AM0.32m | 1:04PM0.50m | 1:44AM0.37m | 1:51PM0.52m | 2:27AM0.41m | 2:31PM0.54m | 3:06AM0.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:12PM0.22m | 1:39AM0.15m | 4:15PM0.23m | 3:00AM0.18m | 6:09PM0.19m | 4:52AM0.18m | 7:10PM0.15m | 6:19AM0.16m | 7:52PM0.11m | 7:21AM0.13m | 8:28PM0.07m | 8:11AM0.10m | 9:01PM0.04m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
— | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 11 | W 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
465 | 711 | 497 | 356 | 565 | 563 | 778 | 778 | 572 | 468 | 444 | 309 | 304 | 309 | 347 | 225 | 396 | 472 | 380 | 431 | 401 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 12 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
205 | 73 | 158 | 432 | 894 | 784 | 47 | 47 | 37 | 35 | 36 | 39 | 40 | 29 | 28 | 144 | 295 | 377 | 348 | 417 | 402 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SW 18 | S 17 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 16 | S 24 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 20 | SSW 21 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 14 | — | SSE 14 |
75 | 50 | 273 | 148 | 106 | 67 | 31 | 49 | 47 | 81 | 40 | 11 | 54 | 33 | 77 | 151 | 24 | 11 | 36 | — | 36 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 11 | W 11 | — | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 |
573 | 486 | 495 | 576 | — | 411 | 639 | 639 | 610 | 507 | 535 | 502 | 474 | 463 | 255 | 271 | 236 | 243 | 279 | 242 | 149 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 125 | 167 | 174 | 167 | 174 | 175 | 174 | 395 | 175 | 174 | 174 | 175 | 174 | 174 | 175 | 174 | 395 | 175 | 174 | 174 | 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.










