Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Dondra over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. The whole sixteen-day window is a long run of "marginal surf" conditions, and the scores tell me it’s not going to be easy. There’s a lot of wind, and while the swell sticks around, the quality is just not there for the most part. We’ve got a solid run of surf from the 2nd of August right through to the 17th, but don’t expect perfection.

The only true standout, and I mean the only one worth circling on the calendar, is the afternoon of the 15th of August and the following morning on the 16th. We’ve got a moderate breeze from the west, which is cross-offshore, and that’s a huge plus. The water temp is sitting right around 28° with a normal anomaly of 0.7°, so it’s warm, average for the time of year. On the 15th afternoon, we’re looking at 4 ft of swell from the SSW with a period of 18 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The energy is strong at 1694 (moderate to strong). That’s a reef break, so that long period should wrap in nicely. The 16th morning drops a little to 4 ft from the same direction, still clean. Crowds are "sometimes" here, so you might have a few others in the water, but it’s not a zoo.

Now, the rest of the run is hard work. From the 2nd through the 14th, it’s mostly a fresh breeze from the west, cross-off, but the swell directions are all over the shop – from W to SSW to S. The period jumps around from 7 seconds (short period, weak) up to 19 seconds, but the wind is always there, 15 to 19 mph. The energy is moderate to strong (in the 1100 to 2100 range), but it’s never clean enough to make it a good session. On the 14th, the wind even goes cross-shore, creating a chop, which is a real mess.

For the beginner crew, anything over 5 ft can be a handful, and we’ve got plenty of 5 ft, 6 ft, even 7 ft days. That 7 ft on the 2nd August afternoon, with 19 mph cross-off wind and a 10-second period, is going to be a washing machine. Not the place to learn.

Honestly, if you’re not hitting the window on the 15th and 16th, you’re looking at a lot of average days. The wind is relentless, and while the swell is there, the quality is marginal. For the kite crew, with that strong cross-off wind and decent swell, Dondra might actually look more interesting for you than for us paddle guys on most days.

Keep your eyes on the long-range for the 15th and 16th – it’s promising, but not locked in.

Rusty.

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