Dondra Surf Break

Lat Long: 5.92° N 80.60° E

Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 01 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Dondra sea temperature is
28.3°C
0.6° 

Dondra surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Dondra surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,355 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 12s 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. 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 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (+0530) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Fri 4th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Sat 5th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 15s
Most Powerful 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep)6ft (1.8m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a patchy run of surf coming up at Dondra, a reef break, but don’t get too excited just yet. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag with plenty of marginal conditions to sift through.

Right off the bat, the first few days are pretty ordinary. Wednesday the 2nd through to Friday the 4th have some chest-high swell rolling in, around 5 ft to 5 ft, coming from the SSW with a long period of 13 to 15 seconds. That long-period groundswell is promising for a reef setup like Dondra, but the wind is cross-shore and fresh, blowing at 12 to 16 mph, putting a chop on the face. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong, ranging from 744 to 1364, so there’s power, but the wind is ruining it. It’s not surfable in any kind of clean way.

The weekend doesn’t get much better. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see the swell dropping to 4 ft and then 3 ft, with period shortening to 10 seconds on Saturday. There’s a brief window Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon where the wind goes cross-offshore, offering cleaner conditions, but the swell is weak. The combined energy drops to 511 and then 396, so it’s small and weak. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for.

Then we hit a real flat patch. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are poor to marginal, with swell down to 3 ft and 3 ft. The energy is low, between 252 and 675. There’s a clean-up Tuesday morning with a 16-second period swell from the SSW, but the size is just knee-to-waist high at best. Not a standout.

Now, here’s where things start to get interesting. Thursday the 10th brings a bump in swell, back up to 4 ft, with a 17-second period from the SSW. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, and the combined energy climbs to 1131. This is the first real glimmer of hope.

The real standout, though, is Friday the 11th. We’ve got a very long-period groundswell, 21 seconds, coming from the SSW, with a solid 4 ft of swell. The combined energy jumps way up to 2270 – that’s strong, powerful energy. The wind stays cross-offshore, so the waves will be clean and well-shaped. This is the best day on offer, but remember, with that super long period, it might be a bit straight at the beach, but for a reef, it’ll be a treat.

Saturday the 12th is a big one, but only for experts. The swell pumps up to 7 ft from the SSW, with a 17-second period. The combined energy is a whopping 3051 – very strong. The wind is cross-offshore but fresh at 19 mph. That’s a lot of power, and with that size, it’s for experienced surfers only. It’s not the best quality due to the wind, but the energy is undeniable.

The following week, from Sunday the 13th to Thursday the 17th, we see a slow drop back down. Swell stays between 4 ft and 6 ft, with periods of 14 to 18 seconds. The wind is mostly cross-offshore, keeping things clean, but the energy drops to the 1000 to 2200 range. There’s a bit of a pulse again on Tuesday the 15th with 6 ft and 1855 energy, and Wednesday the 16th afternoon has another 21-second pulse with 2065 energy. Thursday the 17th morning brings 5 ft with 2214 energy and a fresh breeze. These are decent but not as good as that Friday the 11th.

For the highlight, Friday the 11th is your pick. Dondra (Sri Lanka) with that 4 ft SSW swell at 21 seconds, clean cross-offshore wind, and strong energy. It’s the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a reef break that’s inconsistent and can get crowded sometimes, but when it lines up like this, it’ll be worth the wait.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
3
2
1
2
1
2
0
1
2
1
0
1
1
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SSW
16
1.6
SSW
15
1.7
SSW
15
1.7
SSW
14
1.6
SSW
14
1.6
SSW
13
1.5
S
13
1.4
SSW
13
1.3
S
12
1.2
S
11
1.2
S
10
1.2
S
10
1.1
S
10
1
S
10
0.6
SSW
15
0.8
S
10
0.8
S
10
0.9
SSE
10
0.7
SSW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1241
1110
1145
1223
1032
867
775
669
464
329
314
314
245
192
179
125
122
150
276
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
25
WSW
20
WSW
20
W
25
WSW
20
WSW
15
W
20
WSW
20
W
15
WSW
20
WSW
20
W
15
WSW
20
WSW
20
WSW
20
W
20
WSW
25
WSW
20
W
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
4:48AM0.54m
4:41PM0.44m
5:16AM0.50m
5:02PM0.38m
5:48AM0.45m
5:15PM0.33m
6:32AM0.38m
3:53PM0.27m
11:28AM0.35m
1:19AM0.31m
12:36PM0.40m
1:25AM0.38m
Low Tide
10:23PM0.02m
10:58AM0.10m
10:45PM0.06m
11:29AM0.15m
11:06PM0.11m
12:05PM0.21m
11:21PM0.17m
1:47PM0.27m
10:31PM0.23m
7:11PM0.20m
6:23AM0.23m
7:15PM0.14m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:00
5:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:14
6:13
6:13
6:12
6:12
6:10
 mm
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
Temp °C
27
28
28
27
29
29
26
28
29
27
29
29
27
29
29
27
29
29
27
Feels °C
29
28
28
29
30
29
28
29
29
30
30
29
30
30
29
30
30
29
29
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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