Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s break down the only spot that’s got any action for the next couple of weeks.

It’s a slow start, nothing to even talk about until the afternoon of Saturday the 15th. That first wave is a weak, short-period 1.7m W swell with a 7-second period – pretty messy. The wind is a moderate 25 km/h cross-off, which helps, but it’s a scratchy beginning. The water is a normal 27°, right on the money for this time of year.

The real show kicks off on Monday the 17th. The forecasts might say “marginal,” but trust me, the numbers tell a different story. A solid, long-period SSW groundswell starts to fill in. Monday afternoon gives us 1.0m of swell with a 22-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a solid 1455 (moderate), and it’s clean with cross-off winds. That’s the kind of swell that loves a reef or a point.

The absolute standouts are Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th. Tuesday morning is a beast: 2.3m of SSW swell with a 19-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 4106 (strong to very strong). The wind is clean cross-off at 25 km/h. That’s a serious session. Wednesday is right there with it at 2.1m and a 17-second period, energy at 3586. That’s a real window of power. But you need to know – 2.3m is expert territory. This is a reef break, and with that long period, it’s going to be a long, fast, powerful wall. The best spot is Dondra itself. The optimum swell direction is SW and this is coming from SSW, so it’s going to be lined up nicely. You might see a few other people out there – crowds are “sometimes” – but it’s not a zoo.

The energy backs off a bit after that, but we get a consistent run of clean, chest-to-head-high SSW swell through the rest of the week and into the next. The 25th and 26th show a nice bump in period again. Then, looking way out, the weekend of the 29th and 30th of August could be another big one. Saturday the 29th afternoon has a 2.2m SSW swell with an 18-second period and energy of 3309, and Sunday the 30th afternoon might be the biggest of the whole run at 2.5m with an 18-second period and energy of 4493. That’s a serious, expert-only wave. It’s a long way out, but the signs are all there.

So, bottom line: the first week is your best bet, with Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th being the absolute pick of the bunch for powerful, clean groundswell. The second week has some promising size, but it’s a long-range forecast. This is a reef break, so it loves a long period, and we’re getting plenty of that. Expect clean conditions from that steady cross-off wind, but be ready for some serious size if you’re paddling out on the 18th, 19th, or that last weekend.

Rusty.

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