Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about what’s on for the next two weeks. The only spot in the mix is Dondra, an inconsistent reef break, so don’t plan your life around it. The water temp is 28°, which is right around the average for this time of year – no weird anomalies.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 24th of July starts with a weak 0.7m SW swell, a moderate cross-shore breeze, and the combined energy is just 492 – it’s flat and messy. Saturday the 25th sees a bump to 1.4m, but it’s from the SSE with a short 10-second period and a cross-shore wind, so it’s rough. The combined energy hits 829, but it’s still marginal. Sunday the 26th holds 1.5m from the SSE, 11-second period, and energy of 992, but there’s a risk of thunderstorms and the wind is cross-shore – not clean.

The surf stays marginal through the end of July and into early August. Monday the 27th drops to 1.2m from the SE, and while the wind turns cross-offshore, the combined energy falls to 690. It’s clean but weak. Tuesday the 28th is similar, with 1.0m SE swell, then a shift to 0.8m SSW swell with a 15-second period, giving energy of 656. The long period helps, but it’s tiny. The pattern continues through the 29th and 30th – clean conditions with cross-offshore winds, but the swell sits between 0.8m and 1.0m, with energy from 603 to 1046. The 30th has a 0.9m SSW swell with an 18-second period, pushing energy to 1046 – that’s moderate energy, and the long period will make it look better at this reef, but it’s still small.

The real interest starts on Friday the 31st of July. A 0.9m SSW swell with a 20-second period sends the combined energy to 1441, and the wind is cross-offshore. That’s a long-period groundswell, and Dondra being a reef, it’s the right setup. The size is still modest, but the energy is building. Saturday the 1st of August holds 1.3m SSW swell, 16-second period, and energy of 1346 to 1478, with fresh cross-offshore breezes. It’s not a standout yet, but it’s getting there.

The standout window is Monday the 3rd of August. The morning kicks off with 1.4m SSW swell, 17-second period, and combined energy of 1924 – that’s moderate but pushing strong. The afternoon sees the swell hold at 1.4m, but the period drops slightly to 16 seconds, and the energy rockets to 2422. That’s solid, moderate-to-strong energy. The wind is clean cross-offshore from the west at 25 km/h. This is the best of the forecast. The swell direction is SSW, which matches the optimum SW direction closely enough for this reef. It’s not huge, but the quality should be there.

Tuesday the 4th of August is also a strong contender. The morning brings 1.6m SSW swell, 17-second period, and energy of 1853, with a fresh cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon holds 1.5m, 16-second period, and energy of 1455. That’s a bit bigger, but it’s borderline for beginners – anything over 1.5m can be a handful. For experienced surfers, this is a goer.

Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th of August taper off a bit, with 1.3m and 1.0m SSW swells, periods around 14-15 seconds, and energy between 773 and 1156. The wind stays clean, but the energy drops.

The final highlight is Saturday the 8th of August. The morning shows 1.6m SSW swell, 18-second period, and combined energy of 2702 – that’s strong energy. The afternoon builds to 1.8m SSW, 17-second period, and energy of 2944. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the west. This is a proper swell, but 1.8m is pushing into expert territory, especially with that long period. It’ll be powerful and clean, but only for those who know what they’re doing.

Overall, the best bets are Monday the 3rd of August and Saturday the 8th of August. Monday offers cleaner, more manageable size with strong energy, while Saturday has more power but is only for experts. The crowd at Dondra is listed as “sometimes,” so you might see a few others out, but it’s not packed.

Rusty.

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