
Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, SSE swell with 686 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dondra this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Dondra in the next 16 days are 1.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about what’s on for the next two weeks. The only spot in the mix is Dondra, an inconsistent reef break, so don’t plan your life around it. The water temp is 28°, which is right around the average for this time of year – no weird anomalies.
The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 24th of July starts with a weak 0.7m SW swell, a moderate cross-shore breeze, and the combined energy is just 492 – it’s flat and messy. Saturday the 25th sees a bump to 1.4m, but it’s from the SSE with a short 10-second period and a cross-shore wind, so it’s rough. The combined energy hits 829, but it’s still marginal. Sunday the 26th holds 1.5m from the SSE, 11-second period, and energy of 992, but there’s a risk of thunderstorms and the wind is cross-shore – not clean.
The surf stays marginal through the end of July and into early August. Monday the 27th drops to 1.2m from the SE, and while the wind turns cross-offshore, the combined energy falls to 690. It’s clean but weak. Tuesday the 28th is similar, with 1.0m SE swell, then a shift to 0.8m SSW swell with a 15-second period, giving energy of 656. The long period helps, but it’s tiny. The pattern continues through the 29th and 30th – clean conditions with cross-offshore winds, but the swell sits between 0.8m and 1.0m, with energy from 603 to 1046. The 30th has a 0.9m SSW swell with an 18-second period, pushing energy to 1046 – that’s moderate energy, and the long period will make it look better at this reef, but it’s still small.
The real interest starts on Friday the 31st of July. A 0.9m SSW swell with a 20-second period sends the combined energy to 1441, and the wind is cross-offshore. That’s a long-period groundswell, and Dondra being a reef, it’s the right setup. The size is still modest, but the energy is building. Saturday the 1st of August holds 1.3m SSW swell, 16-second period, and energy of 1346 to 1478, with fresh cross-offshore breezes. It’s not a standout yet, but it’s getting there.
The standout window is Monday the 3rd of August. The morning kicks off with 1.4m SSW swell, 17-second period, and combined energy of 1924 – that’s moderate but pushing strong. The afternoon sees the swell hold at 1.4m, but the period drops slightly to 16 seconds, and the energy rockets to 2422. That’s solid, moderate-to-strong energy. The wind is clean cross-offshore from the west at 25 km/h. This is the best of the forecast. The swell direction is SSW, which matches the optimum SW direction closely enough for this reef. It’s not huge, but the quality should be there.
Tuesday the 4th of August is also a strong contender. The morning brings 1.6m SSW swell, 17-second period, and energy of 1853, with a fresh cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon holds 1.5m, 16-second period, and energy of 1455. That’s a bit bigger, but it’s borderline for beginners – anything over 1.5m can be a handful. For experienced surfers, this is a goer.
Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th of August taper off a bit, with 1.3m and 1.0m SSW swells, periods around 14-15 seconds, and energy between 773 and 1156. The wind stays clean, but the energy drops.
The final highlight is Saturday the 8th of August. The morning shows 1.6m SSW swell, 18-second period, and combined energy of 2702 – that’s strong energy. The afternoon builds to 1.8m SSW, 17-second period, and energy of 2944. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the west. This is a proper swell, but 1.8m is pushing into expert territory, especially with that long period. It’ll be powerful and clean, but only for those who know what they’re doing.
Overall, the best bets are Monday the 3rd of August and Saturday the 8th of August. Monday offers cleaner, more manageable size with strong energy, while Saturday has more power but is only for experts. The crowd at Dondra is listed as “sometimes,” so you might see a few others out, but it’s not packed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSE 10 | SSW 16 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 21 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
217 | 214 | 258 | 410 | 386 | 686 | 523 | 496 | 335 | 284 | 251 | 222 | 196 | 259 | 277 | 400 | 293 | 253 | 497 | 395 | 452 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | 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 |
High Tide | 10:33AM0.36m | 00:35AM0.28m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:49PM0.22m | 5:10AM0.24m | 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 | ||||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
142 | 148 | 258 | 410 | 386 | 686 | 523 | 496 | 335 | 284 | 251 | 222 | 196 | 192 | 188 | 188 | 188 | 177 | 224 | 196 | 192 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
217 | 214 | 229 | 382 | 299 | 394 | 384 | 331 | 269 | 265 | 141 | 133 | 100 | 259 | 277 | 400 | 293 | 253 | 497 | 395 | 452 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 21 |
43 | 43 | 10 | 37 | 56 | 33 | 85 | 125 | 155 | 141 | 169 | 164 | 188 | 98 | 128 | 131 | 122 | 122 | 242 | 168 | 404 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 4 | W 8 | W 5 | WSW 4 | WNW 10 | W 5 | W 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 |
90 | 10 | 82 | 18 | 37 | 170 | 22 | 33 | 34 | 49 | 78 | 97 | 97 | 107 | 90 | 66 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 154 | 213 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 678 | 788 | 4 | 676 | 788 | 787 | 676 | 395 | 175 | 174 | 787 | 175 | 175 | 787 | 175 | 174 | 814 | 175 | 174 | 986 | 676 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










