Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a long look at what’s coming for Dondra. This is a reef break that only breaks on a good swell, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. We’ve got a lot of surf on the table across the 16-day window, but the quality is a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at 83°, which is pretty much where you’d expect it for this time of year—nothing unusual there.

We start things off this Friday morning, the 28th of August, with a chest-high 5 ft SSW swell, but the wind is a cross-shore 16 mph out of the WSW, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. It’s looking a bit lumpy and marginal, honestly, a bit of a battle. A combined energy of 1122 (moderate) tells you there’s push, but the cross-chop will make it messy. The afternoon cleans up a little as the wind goes cross-offshore, and the swell bumps up to 5 ft, still with that long 14-second period. It’s rideable, but I wouldn’t call it a standout.

Saturday the 29th sees the swell drop to 4 ft to 4 ft, and while the wind stays cross-off, the energy drops hard to 649 and 767. It’s clean but small and weak. A tough day to score anything decent.

Now, Sunday the 30th is where we start to get interested. The morning has a 4 ft SSW swell but check the period—19 seconds! That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 1561, and even though the wind is a moderate cross-off, that long period means the sets will be fat and powerful, with long waits between them. This is a reef break, so those long-period swells can be magic here, but they can also close out if the tide’s wrong. The afternoon gets even better: 5 ft at 18 seconds, energy at 1932, and clean wind. This is the first real standout window.

Monday the 31st delivers the biggest surf of the whole run. We’ve got 8 ft SSW swell, 18-second periods, and energy screaming at 3300 (strong). That’s a solid, powerful swell. The wind is cross-offshore and clean. This is getting into expert territory—over 8 ft in some sets—so if you’re not comfortable with heavy, long-period reef waves, give it a miss. For the crew who know what they’re doing, though, this is the best on offer.

Tuesday the 1st of September holds at 7 ft to 6 ft with 16-second periods. The morning has a cross-shore wind that’s a bit messy, but the afternoon cleans right up. Energy is still very strong at over 2300 and 1891. A solid session for the experienced.

From Wednesday the 2nd, the swell slowly backs off through the end of the first week and into the second. Wednesday to Friday the 4th has 5 ft to 6 ft SSW swell, clean afternoons, but shorter periods around 13 to 15 seconds. It’s good fun, not epic.

Then we hit a long, slow fade. Saturday the 5th of September through to Tuesday the 8th sees the swell drop below 4 ft, periods shorten to 9 to 10 seconds, and the combined energy falls under 600. Wind stays cross-shore and messy. Honestly, from the 6th to the 9th, it’s pretty poor—flat, weak slop not worth paddling out for.

We get a small pulse on Wednesday the 9th afternoon and Thursday the 10th, with clean cross-offshore wind and 4 ft SSW swell at 18 seconds. Energy hits 1198. That’s a glimmer for patient locals.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of September round it out with 5 ft to 5 ft SSW swell, 15 to 16 seconds, and clean afternoons. Not huge, but clean, long lines on a reef—a decent way to close the window.

If I’m picking the absolute best: Monday the 31st of August morning is the standout for the big-wave crew, with 8 ft SSW, long period, clean wind, and sky-high energy. Sunday the 30th afternoon is the second pick—a powerful, clean, long-period pulse before the swell peaks. For the rest, it’s a lot of marginal, clean-ish surf that’s better than a flat spell but nothing to write home about.

This break is inconsistent, so don’t expect it to always fire. Over the second week, the clean afternoons on the 10th and 11th look promising but less certain.

Rusty.

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