Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on offer for your local break.

Honestly, the first week and a half is a bit of a slow burn. Dondra is our only spot, and for the first few days, the swell is just too small to get excited about, with wave heights hanging around 3 ft or less and a moderate cross-off breeze that keeps things clean but weak. The combined energy is moderate at best, and it’s just not firing. You’ll be waiting for a set that never really shows.

Things start to get interesting on Monday, July 20th, when a longer-period groundswell shows up, with the swell hitting 4 ft, and by the afternoon it’s pushing 6 ft from the south with a period of 16 seconds. That’s got some real grunt behind it (combined energy of 1933). The wind is cross-off, so the face should be reasonably clean, but this is a reef break that’s inconsistent and rarely pumps, so don’t expect it to be a wave machine. The swell direction is SSW, which is close to the optimum SW direction, but that long period means it might not be the easiest to paddle into if the sets are spread out. Still, Monday afternoon looks like the best bet in this first week.

Tuesday, July 21st, is similar, with 5 ft to 5 ft from the south, but the wind is a bit more cross-shore in the morning, making it a little bumpy. The afternoon cleans up again, but it’s still not a standout.

Then we hit a real lull from Wednesday, July 22nd, all the way through to Monday, July 27th. The swell drops below 4 ft, the period is shorter, and the wind is often cross-shore. It’s a tough stretch of marginal surf with poor conditions or just lumpy, messy waves. That’s a solid five days of very little to recommend.

Now, for the long-range look, the last few days of the month and into August bring some serious energy. Around Thursday, July 30th, the swell jumps to 5 ft, but the real story is Friday, July 31st, morning and afternoon: we’re looking at a solid 8 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 20 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 5229, and the wind is a clean cross-off. This is the big one. That kind of size and period is for experienced surfers only – it’s going to be powerful and heavy. The reef set-up at Dondra should handle the long period well, but it will be a serious paddle. The water temperature is about 82°, which is average for this time of year, so no worries there.

The real standout of the entire forecast is Friday, July 31st, morning at Dondra. It’s big, it’s clean, and the energy is off the charts. But remember, this is a week and a half away, so treat it as a promising but not locked-in call. The crowd situation at Dondra is listed as “sometimes”, so you might have some company, but it’s not a zoo.

For the rest of the time, the quality is just too low to get excited about. It’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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