Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Dondra are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of swell, but the conditions are always ‘marginal’ with that cross-off wind, and the scores are pretty average. The best of the lot is kicking off the period, and there’s a couple of bigger pulses later on that look promising, but it’s never going to be perfect.

The first real standout is Monday the 20th of July. We’ve got a 6ft south swell with a 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell, lots of energy in the water. The combined energy is a solid 1708, so you’ll feel the push. The wind is cross-off from the west at 12 mph, and the water is a warm 82°, which is pretty much average for the time of year. For a reef break like Dondra, that long period should wrap in nicely, but it’s inconsistent here, so don’t expect a set every minute. The crowds are sometimes a thing, so you might have a few friends out. This is the best on offer early on.

Tuesday the 21st is still okay, with a 5ft south swell (15-second period, 1234 energy) in the morning, dropping to 5ft from the SSW (14-second period, 1069 energy) in the afternoon. The wind stays cross-off from the west, so it’s rideable, but nothing special.

Then things taper off. Wednesday the 22nd sees the swell drop to 4ft, and the wind turns cross-shore, bringing a bit of chop. Thursday and Friday are smaller, with heights under 3ft and periods dropping, so the energy is weak (321 and 289). Not worth paddling out for.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th has a small bump back to 3ft from the SSW, but the period is good (15-16 seconds), so there’s some shape. Still, the energy is moderate (836 and 994), and with that cross-off wind, it’s clean but small.

Now, look ahead to the end of the month and into August. The 29th of July has a 3ft SSW swell with a 20-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy picks up to 1304, and it’s clean with cross-off wind. For a reef break, that long period could be a dream, but it’s inconsistent, and the swell height is small. Not a standout, but an interesting one.

The big pulse comes on the 31st of July and into the 1st of August. On the 31st morning, we’ve got a 6ft SSW swell (16-second period, 2067 energy), and the combined energy is strong. The wind is a fresh breeze from the west, so it’s a bit stronger but still cross-off. By the 1st of August morning, it’s 7ft from the SSW (16-second period, 2530 energy). That’s getting into the range where it’s only for experienced surfers – over 8ft and it’s expert-only, but this is just under. The energy is very strong (2530). The wind is fresh again, but cross-off, so it’ll be clean. This is the second standout – a proper, powerful swell for those who know what they’re doing.

After that, it slowly drops off through the 2nd and 3rd of August, with heights around 4ft to 5ft, and then on the 4th of August, another pulse hits: 6ft from the SSW (18-second period, 2747 energy). That’s a very strong energy level, and the wind is back to a moderate breeze cross-off. This is a third promising window, but it’s far out, so keep an eye on it.

The biggest issue across the whole period is that every session is marked as ‘marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.’ The wind is never truly offshore, just cross-off or cross-shore, so it’s never glassy. The best you’ll get is clean, but not perfect. If you’re waiting for a classic day, you might be disappointed, but there’s enough swell to get wet if you’re keen.

Rusty.

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