Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long look at what’s coming for our patch. The only break on the menu is Dondra, a reef setup that’s got some solid potential but needs the stars to align. It's a tricky one – inconsistent and a bit of a tease. Water temp is sitting right on normal for the time of year at 82°, not warm, not cold, just average.

We’ve got a pretty quiet start to the period. The first real sniff of something worthwhile kicks off Thursday afternoon, 9th of July. Swell runs about 5 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 16 seconds, giving the water some serious grunt – combined energy is pumping at 1565 (strong). The wind is cross-off from the west at 12 mph, so the face will be clean. That long-period groundswell loves a reef like Dondra, so shape should be good, but wait for the sets. This is the best on offer early on.

Friday and Saturday are similar but with a shorter period and a bit more wind, so the quality drops a notch, but still clean and surfable. Sunday the 12th sees the swell bump up to 6 ft, but the period shortens to 9-10 seconds and the wind pushes a bit harder at 19 mph. The energy is fading (920 on Sunday morning). It’s not terrible, but it’s not the standout.

Things go pretty flat and marginal through the middle of the week. From Monday the 13th through to Saturday the 19th, we’re looking at small, less powerful swells, mostly around 3 ft to 4 ft. The energy drops into the weak-to-moderate range (down to 445-1118). Winds stay cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the lack of push means it’s a longboard-only zone or maybe just a paddle. Friday the 17th morning even looks a bit messy with a cross-chop developing.

Then we get a bit of a spike on Monday the 20th. Swell jumps back up to 6 ft from the south, period at 11 seconds, and the energy is back up (1225-1402). Winds are still a clean cross-off. This is your second real highlight for the stronger surfers – decent size with some power, and Dondra can handle that SSW direction nicely.

The end of the forecast window, from the 21st onwards, fades again into smaller SSW swells with some very long periods (14-20 seconds) but low energy (683-1137). There’s even a risk of thunderstorms on some mornings, but the wind stays light enough to keep it rideable for those patient enough. The 20-second period on the 22nd is a special kind of long, which at a reef can produce some beautiful, long lines, but don’t expect many waves.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag. There’s no one single day that screams epic. The best bet for power and clean waves is Thursday the 9th and Monday the 20th, with Thursday having the edge for that pure, long-period groundswell feel.

Rusty

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