Dondra Surf Break

Lat Long: 5.92° N 80.60° E

Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 30 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Dondra sea temperature is
28.0°C
0.4° 

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


Dondra surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 18s period, SSW swell with 3,547 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 2.4m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 8PM.

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)3.5ft (1.1m) 10s
Most Powerful11AM (Mon 31st Aug)8ft (2.4m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty with a look at the waves for our corner of the coast.

We’ve got a solid run of surf on the horizon, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the conditions. The standout period is gonna be the first week, especially the middle days, before things settle down and then pick back up again in the second week.

We’re looking at Dondra as our main break, a reef setup that can handle a good push of swell. For the next few days, the water is sitting at a comfortable 82°, which is about average for this time of year.

Sunday morning, August 30th sees the start of it, with a 4ft SSW groundswell rolling in at 19 seconds. The combined energy is pumping at 1650, showing there’s plenty of water moving. The wind’s coming from the W at 16 mph, which is a cross-off breeze, keeping things clean. It’s not massive, but those long 19-second periods mean there’ll be some nice lines pushing through. Just a heads up, this break can be inconsistent and you might run into a few others out there.

The swell really builds through Monday, August 31st and into Tuesday. Monday morning has waves hitting 8ft from the SSW, with a massive 3575 combined energy. That’s some serious power! The cross-off wind holds, so expect clean, powerful waves. This is a proper session for the experienced crew—8ft on a reef is no joke for beginners. The periods are still long (17-18 seconds), meaning those sets will have plenty of punch.

By Wednesday, September 2nd, the wind starts to shift to a more cross-shore direction (WSW), and the quality takes a little dip, with a cross-chop developing. The swell is still solid at 5ft, but it gets a bit jumbled.

After that, the energy drops off into the end of the first week. By Friday, September 4th, the swell fades to around 4ft and the period drops to 10-12 seconds, with much weaker energy (497). The conditions turn more marginal, and by Saturday and Sunday it’s honestly looking poor, with small, weak waves and a messy cross-shore wind. There won’t be much worth paddling out for.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. From about the 7th of September onward, the surf gets really small, with heights around 2ft to 3ft for a few days. The combined energy drops into the low hundreds, just not enough to get excited about. The wind stays mostly cross-off, but there’s no power behind the waves.

Now, looking further out, there’s a promise of better days. By Friday, September 11th, we see another bump in the forecast. A fresh SSW groundswell is due to push in, with 6ft to 6ft waves and the combined energy jumping back up into the 1800s. The winds look favorable with a cross-off flow. This continues into Sunday, September 13th, with 7ft SSW swell hitting in the afternoon and a combined energy of 2717. That one’s a long way out, so it’s a tentative call, but the pattern is there. If it holds, that Sunday afternoon session at Dondra could be the real standout of the second week.

So, the best bet? That Monday, August 31st morning session with the 8ft SSW swell, clean cross-off wind, and a huge 3575 combined energy. That’s the one to circle. The Sunday the 13th looks like another possible highlight, but we’ll have to see how that evolves.

Stay stoked, and I’ll see you in the water.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
0
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)
1.3
SSW
19
1.7
SSW
18
1.9
SSW
18
2.4
SSW
18
2.3
SSW
17
2.3
SSW
16
2.1
SSW
16
1.8
SSW
16
1.6
SSW
16
1.6
SSW
15
1.6
SSW
15
1.7
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
14
1.6
SSW
13
1.6
S
13
1.4
SSW
13
1.2
S
12
1
S
11
1.2
S
10
1.2
S
10
1.1
S
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1288
1856
2299
3547
2918
2748
2128
1671
1257
1110
1024
1223
1154
867
878
604
404
220
302
296
255
Wind (km/h)
25
W
20
W
20
W
25
W
25
W
20
W
25
W
25
W
20
W
25
WSW
20
WSW
20
W
25
WSW
20
W
20
W
25
WSW
20
W
15
W
20
WSW
20
W
15
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
High Tide
3:30PM0.54m
3:56AM0.58m
3:55PM0.51m
4:21AM0.57m
4:18PM0.48m
4:48AM0.54m
4:41PM0.44m
5:16AM0.50m
5:02PM0.38m
5:48AM0.45m
5:15PM0.33m
6:32AM0.38m
3:53PM0.27m
Low Tide
9:34AM0.03m
9:39PM-0.02m
10:01AM0.04m
10:01PM-0.01m
10:29AM0.06m
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
part cloud
clear
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:15
6:15
6:14
6:14
6:13
6:13
6:12
 mm
1
1
1
1
1
Temp °C
28
29
26
29
29
27
29
29
27
28
28
26
28
29
26
29
29
27
29
29
27
Feels °C
28
29
27
29
28
29
29
28
29
28
28
27
28
29
28
29
29
29
30
29
30
  • Map Icons:
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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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