Dondra Surf Break

Lat Long: 5.92° N 80.60° E

Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 25 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Dondra sea temperature is
28.2° C
0.5° 

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


Dondra surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 893 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dondra this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Dondra in the next 16 days are 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (+0530) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 5PM (Fri 31st Jul)4ft (1.2m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Dondra area over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a lot of days where the conditions are just marginal, with the risk of thunderstorms hanging around most of the time. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick steamer, that’s for sure.

Alright, starting this Saturday the 25th of July, it’s not looking great. A 5ft swell from the SSE with a short 10-second period, but the wind is a cross-shore from the WSW at 12 mph, making things choppy. The energy is moderate (829), but the quality is poor. This pattern pretty much holds through the weekend. Sunday the 26th shows a slight bump to 5ft on the morning, but with a 16 mph cross-shore wind, it’s messy. The afternoon cleans up a little with a cross-off wind from the west, but we’re still only looking at 5ft from the SE.

Monday the 27th through to Wednesday the 29th is more of the same: waist to chest-high swell, mostly from the SE and then swinging SSW, with cross-off winds keeping the surface clean, but the overall wave energy stays moderate (between 445 and 889). The biggest issue is that this break is inconsistent, so you could be waiting around for a set that never really comes good. It’s not a total write-off, but you’d be scratching for a wave.

Now, things get a bit more interesting towards the end of the first week and into the second. On Friday the 31st of July and into Saturday the 1st of August, we see the combined energy jump into the strong range, hitting 1250 to 1583. The swell holds around 4ft to 4ft from the SSW, with a long 16 to 18-second period. This is real groundswell, and with the wind staying cross-off from the west, the surface should be clean. This looks like the best bet for a decent session in the near term, but remember, this spot is a reef break that’s inconsistent, so you’ve got to be patient.

The standout window, and the one that has me talking, is Sunday the 2nd of August. We get a pulse of swell from the west, pushing up to 8ft in the afternoon, but the period drops to just 8 seconds. That’s a short-period windswell, and while the energy is strong (1489), that short period will make for a lumpy, chunky wave. It’s also over 5ft, so it’s getting a bit much for beginners, but not quite in the expert-only zone. The winds stay cross-off, so it will be rideable.

Through the rest of the second week, we see a return to SSW groundswell with long periods (14 to 19 seconds) and strong wave energy, regularly over 1400 and peaking at 2418 on Saturday the 8th of August. The swell size sits between 4ft and 6ft. The optimum direction for Dondra is SW, and a lot of this SSW swell is close, but not perfect. The winds are consistently cross-off from the west or WNW, which is a big positive. The period is long (over 15 seconds on some days), which means better shaped waves with more push, but at a beach break or exposed reef like this, those long-period swells can sometimes run a bit too straight. Still, for an experienced surfer who knows the line-up, the window from the 6th to the 9th of August has some serious potential, especially the afternoons.

But to be honest, the entire forecast is peppered with "marginal" comments. Dondra is an inconsistent spot, so you can't rock up expecting perfection. The best call if you're keen is to target the cleaner afternoons with that cross-off wind, particularly around the 31st of July and the 1st of August for a manageable long-period swell, or if you're feeling brave and want size, the 2nd of August, despite the short period. For the real dedicated crew, the window from 6th to 9th August looks promising for strong, long-period groundswell, but the further out you look, the more you gotta keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 46mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
3
1
2
2
1
2
2
0
1
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
16
1.4
SSE
10
1.6
SE
11
1.5
SSE
11
1.4
SE
10
1.4
SE
10
1.2
SE
10
1.1
SE
10
1.1
SE
10
1.1
SE
10
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
16
1
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
20
0.9
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
18
0.8
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
410
386
593
523
437
377
284
251
256
226
291
277
400
346
253
497
395
452
447
893
826
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
20
WSW
20
W
25
WSW
25
W
20
W
25
W
25
W
20
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
30
W
30
W
30
W
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
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
High Tide
12:16PM0.39m
1:26AM0.32m
1:06PM0.43m
1:55AM0.35m
1:42PM0.47m
2:21AM0.39m
2:11PM0.50m
2:46AM0.42m
2:38PM0.53m
3:11AM0.45m
3:04PM0.54m
3:36AM0.48m
3:29PM0.55m
4:02AM0.50m
Low Tide
7:26PM0.18m
6:39AM0.21m
7:54PM0.14m
7:23AM0.18m
8:19PM0.10m
7:57AM0.14m
8:42PM0.06m
8:27AM0.12m
9:05PM0.04m
8:56AM0.09m
9:28PM0.01m
9:24AM0.08m
9:51PM0.00m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:25
6:25
6:24
6:24
6:24
6:24
6:24
 mm
2
2
5
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
3
5
3
3
10
4
3
13
4
3
7
Temp °C
29
29
27
29
29
27
29
29
27
28
28
26
28
28
26
28
27
26
28
28
26
Feels °C
30
29
29
29
29
29
29
29
29
28
28
27
29
28
28
29
27
27
27
27
26
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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