Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 19s period, SSW swell with 3,961 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dondra this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Dondra in the next 16 days are 2.3m 19s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 19s |
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 cooking for Dondra over the next couple of weeks.
First up, water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about average for this time of year – no surprises there.
Right now, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days, from Friday the 14th through to Monday the 17th, are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some knee to waist-high swell coming in from the SSE, around 2ft to 4ft, with a long period of 11 seconds. That’s a nice groundswell pulse, but the real story is the wind. It’s blowing a cross-offshore breeze from the West at 16 to 16 mph, which will keep the surface clean. The combined wave energy sits anywhere from 566 to 888 (moderate) – but honestly, the forecast is calling these marginal. You might find a sneaky one, but don’t expect fireworks.
Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th see the swell direction shift to SSW. On Monday afternoon, the period jumps to a very long 22 seconds, with combined energy hitting 1146 (still moderate). That long period means the waves will have real shape and punch, but at a beach break like Dondra, it might break a bit too straight. Still, for those who know the lineup, it’s an opportunity.
Now, here’s where we get excited. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are the standout days. Swell builds to a solid 7ft to 8ft from the SSW, with a period of 17 to 19 seconds. The combined wave energy skyrockets to over 3500 to 4155 (strong to very strong). This is proper groundswell, packing serious punch. The wind stays cross-offshore from the West at 16 mph, keeping the faces clean. This is the window for experienced surfers only. Anything over 8ft is expert territory, and even at 7ft, beginners should sit this one out. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
After that, the swell drops back a little through the end of the week. Thursday the 20th still holds 7ft to 8ft from the SSW, but the wind turns more cross-shore in the morning, which will introduce some chop. The afternoons clean up again with cross-off winds. Still solid, but not quite the peak.
From Friday the 21st through to the end of the period, we see a slow decrease in size, with waves dropping from 6ft down to 3ft by Monday the 24th. The periods stay long, between 14 and 18 seconds, so the quality remains decent even as the size fades. Winds continue mostly cross-offshore, keeping things clean. The combined energy stays in the moderate band (993 to 1686).
There’s a brief uptick around Wednesday the 26th, with 6ft SSW swell and clean conditions, but nothing that rivals the big Tuesday. By the 29th, we’re back to smaller 4ft to 5ft swell, with some cross-shore winds in the mornings.
Overall, the real standout is Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th – big, powerful, clean SSW groundswell. If you’re an experienced surfer, that’s your window. Don’t sleep on Monday afternoon either, with that 22-second period. The rest of the run is fun, but more for the patient surfer.
Stay stoked.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | WSW 7 | W 7 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 22 | SSW 22 | SSW 21 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | S 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
303 | 297 | 277 | 278 | 292 | 265 | 265 | 214 | 415 | 887 | 1311 | 3961 | 3757 | 3393 | 2296 | 1851 | 3228 | 2610 | 2054 | 1499 | |
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 | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:20PM0.54m | 3:54AM0.55m | 3:47PM0.53m | 4:21AM0.55m | 4:11PM0.51m | 4:46AM0.53m | 4:35PM0.47m | 5:09AM0.50m | 4:57PM0.43m | 5:32AM0.47m | 5:16PM0.39m | 5:55AM0.42m | 5:27PM0.34m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:37PM-0.03m | 9:53AM0.06m | 10:01PM-0.02m | 10:20AM0.08m | 10:24PM-0.00m | 10:47AM0.10m | 10:46PM0.03m | 11:12AM0.13m | 11:06PM0.08m | 11:37AM0.17m | 11:22PM0.13m | 12:04PM0.21m | 11:31PM0.17m | |||||||
— | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:19 | — | |
mm | 2 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 28 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
303 | 297 | 231 | 187 | 292 | 265 | 265 | 214 | 166 | 887 | 1169 | 3961 | 3757 | 3393 | 2296 | 1493 | 3228 | 2610 | 2054 | 1499 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 6 | SW 13 | SSW 22 | SSE 10 | SSW 21 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 19 | S 18 | S 12 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 |
261 | 196 | 146 | 143 | 138 | 138 | 25 | 87 | 415 | 146 | 1311 | 107 | 81 | 68 | 1026 | 1851 | 221 | 45 | 46 | 50 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 17 | SSE 16 | SSW 15 | — | WNW 11 | SW 14 | SW 24 | SW 13 | W 9 | SSE 10 | SW 12 | — | — | SE 9 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | SE 8 |
173 | 153 | 85 | 146 | — | 24 | 100 | 87 | 61 | 85 | 111 | 38 | — | — | 40 | 30 | — | — | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 9 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
148 | 155 | 277 | 278 | 200 | 143 | 220 | 126 | 131 | 106 | 124 | 341 | 349 | 244 | 270 | 224 | 95 | 80 | 77 | 74 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 174 | 175 | 167 | 167 | 175 | 174 | 174 | 175 | 174 | 176 | 175 | 174 | 788 | 174 | 174 | 788 | 175 | 174 | 788 | 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.











