Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,671 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period with S 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the start of this 16-day window is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a solid, long-period groundswell from the SSW pouring in, but for the first several days the wind is a real spoiler. It’s mostly a moderate cross-shore breeze out of the WSW, kicking up a nasty cross-chop on the surface. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is pretty much bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The real action, the stuff that gets the heart pumping, is further out. From Monday the 10th of September, things start to settle. The wind shifts to a cross-offshore direction from the west, and the swell starts to clean right up. The energy builds, and by the afternoon of Tuesday the 15th of September, Dondra is looking seriously good. That’s the standout session. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 22 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 3773 (strong to very strong). With that clean cross-off wind, the reef will be firing. It’s a proper groundswell, so you’ll get long, waiting sets but the waves will be well-shaped and pack a punch. This one is for the intermediate and above crowd – the 6 ft with that long period will have some real grunt.
Then we get to the real peak. Wednesday the 16th of September is the one to circle. The morning starts with 8 ft from the SSW at 19 seconds, and the energy is through the roof at 5318. By the afternoon, it’s pushing 10 ft at 18 seconds, with a combined energy of 5363. The wind is still clean and cross-offshore. This is a big, powerful swell. For the experts, this is a dream. For anyone else, it’s a serious session and you’ll want to be confident. The 10 ft height is solidly in the “experts only” territory. The breaking wave at Dondra is a reef, so it’s going to handle that long-period energy beautifully. Crowds are possible here, so get there early.
The days leading up to that are all about smaller, less consistent energy with the messy wind. The gap between the first marginal surf and the real standouts on the 15th and 16th is about a week, so you’ve got time to wait. The 10th through the 14th offer some clean, rideable waves in the 4 ft to 6 ft range, but the energy and size aren’t in the same league as the 15th and 16th. The 15th and 16th are the only true standouts in this whole run.
So, get your board ready for the 15th and 16th of September. That’s the window. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 15 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2128 | 1671 | 1241 | 1110 | 1145 | 1355 | 1032 | 867 | 878 | 747 | 464 | 329 | 314 | 302 | 240 | 231 | 179 | 125 | 194 | 210 | 276 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 11:28AM0.35m | 1:19AM0.31m | 12:36PM0.40m | 1:25AM0.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 7:11PM0.20m | 6:23AM0.23m | 7:15PM0.14m | ||||||||
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
2128 | 1671 | 1241 | 1110 | 1145 | 1355 | 1032 | 867 | 878 | 747 | 464 | 329 | 314 | 302 | 240 | 231 | 153 | 125 | 194 | 210 | 205 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 12 | S 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | S 16 | SSW 14 | W 8 | SSW 18 |
70 | 34 | 55 | 90 | 64 | 35 | 47 | 57 | 28 | 25 | 44 | 44 | 56 | 155 | 135 | 137 | 179 | 124 | 115 | 37 | 276 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 10 | SE 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 11 | WNW 10 | — | S 21 | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | S 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | S 12 | SE 8 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 13 |
— | 33 | 17 | 20 | 31 | 38 | 9 | 32 | — | 9 | 22 | 83 | 115 | 102 | 146 | 100 | 70 | 21 | 149 | 146 | 59 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 5 | W 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | W 5 | W 5 | W 4 | W 8 | W 5 | W 4 | W 5 | W 4 | WSW 4 | W 10 | W 9 | W 4 | W 10 |
127 | 153 | 128 | 107 | 73 | 50 | 66 | 56 | 32 | 25 | 20 | 61 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 117 | 76 | 16 | 121 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 676 | 788 | 395 | 746 | 787 | 788 | 175 | 787 | 4 | 746 | 788 | 4 | 678 | 788 | 787 | 787 | 787 | 390 | 787 | 788 | 788 |
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.











