
Surf Forecasts:
Dondra surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 19s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 2,404 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 19s 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 1.5m and 7s is also forecast. 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 2.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (+0530) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dondra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's cooking for the Dondra area over the next couple of weeks. It's been a bit of a mixed bag of signals, but there are a few windows worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is only a tick warmer than usual for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there—just your typical warm tropical bath.
The first real chance to wet a line kicks off on Friday the 11th. We've got a moderate cross-shore wind and a bit of a cross-chop, but by the afternoon the wind swings cross-offshore and the conditions clean right up. Swell is coming in from the SSW at 5ft with a long 14-second period, giving the wave some real grunt. The combined energy is sitting at 1626, which is a solid moderate push. It's not going to be perfect, but for an afternoon session on a reef setup like Dondra, it's worth a look if you're an intermediate wanting to avoid the worst of the crowds—though be warned, crowds are sometimes a thing here.
Saturday the 12th is promising but still a touch messy. Morning has a clean 7ft SSW swell with a super long 17-second period (groundswell, plenty of energy at 2853) and cross-offshore wind. That's a lot of water moving around, and for a reef break, that long period will really suck the energy out of the ocean between sets—good for paddling out but the wave will be very lined up. This is definitely in the intermediate-to-expert zone. Saturday afternoon gets a bit more cross-shore again, so make the morning call.
Sunday the 13th keeps the theme going: 6ft SW groundswell, 16-second period, cross-offshore breeze, and moderate wave energy (1556). The afternoon also stays clean with 5ft of swell. It's not the standout of the trip, but it's consistent and ridable for the crew who know the reef.
Now, if you're waiting for the best of the lot, put a circle around Tuesday the 15th. Tuesday morning is the pick of the forecast: 5ft SSW swell, 15-second period, light winds from the west at 9 mph making for a glassy cross-offshore—that's clean as a whistle. Combined energy of 1689 gives it a good solid push without being overwhelming for an intermediate. That's your top window. Just be ready for the risk of thunderstorms, but the wind and waves will be dialled.
Beyond that, the rest of the second week is a bit of a fade. Swell drops back, the periods get shorter, and the winds pick up. From the 18th and into the 20th we see another pulse of SW swell building back to 6ft-7ft, but the period is down to 14 seconds and the wind is a fresh 16-19 mph cross-offshore. By the 22nd, we're into short-period WSW windswell (just 8 seconds) pushing 7ft-8ft—that's expert-only territory, and honestly, with that short period and those winds, the Dondra reef might be more of a wash-through than anything else. The combined energy stays moderate (around 1100-1250) but the quality drops away.
The very tail end of the outlook, around the 25th and 26th, sees a brief return of some long-period SSW swell (18-19 seconds) but the winds shift to cross-shore and get lumpy. Not the best way to finish. There's a clear gap of lower-quality days between the 18th and the next pulse, so don't get too excited for the second weekend unless you're a glutton for punishment.
So the two real standouts are Friday afternoon the 11th for a cleaner evening session, and Tuesday morning the 15th – that's your premium session: glassy, clean, good size, solid period. Mark it.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 133mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 24°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
996 | 1010 | 1719 | 2404 | 2377 | 2097 | 1341 | 1125 | 911 | 790 | 847 | 988 | 1028 | 911 | 886 | 813 | 697 | 590 | 1093 | 800 | 687 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:31PM0.53m | 2:58AM0.58m | 2:56PM0.53m | 3:21AM0.59m | 3:20PM0.52m | 3:43AM0.58m | 3:43PM0.50m | 4:04AM0.56m | 4:04PM0.47m | 4:24AM0.52m | 4:24PM0.44m | 4:43AM0.48m | 4:40PM0.39m | 5:01AM0.44m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:36AM0.05m | 8:40PM-0.02m | 9:02AM0.03m | 9:03PM-0.03m | 9:27AM0.03m | 9:25PM-0.02m | 9:50AM0.04m | 9:46PM0.01m | 10:13AM0.06m | 10:05PM0.04m | 10:34AM0.09m | 10:23PM0.08m | 10:55AM0.14m | 10:36PM0.13m | |||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:06 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 10 | 16 | 43 | 5 | 25 | 28 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
996 | 1010 | 1067 | 2404 | 2377 | 2097 | 1341 | 1125 | 911 | 553 | 847 | 988 | 1028 | 911 | 886 | 813 | 595 | 468 | 1093 | 800 | 687 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | SSE 9 | SSW 19 | WSW 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | S 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 14 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 8 |
898 | 135 | 1719 | 270 | 103 | 101 | 92 | 79 | 246 | 790 | 307 | 19 | 12 | 90 | 336 | 596 | 697 | 590 | 31 | 48 | 28 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SSW 21 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | S 20 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 24 | SSW 22 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SE 8 | SSW 7 | W 10 | SW 22 | SE 8 | SW 20 |
112 | 573 | 128 | 106 | — | — | — | 68 | 52 | 37 | 37 | 11 | 45 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 91 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 98 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | — | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 |
46 | 47 | 141 | — | 172 | 132 | 172 | 235 | 250 | 344 | 800 | 638 | 790 | 400 | 206 | 79 | 60 | 299 | 345 | 212 | 290 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1088 | 986 | 4 | 1177 | 1479 | 175 | 1177 | 1177 | 125 | 390 | 986 | 41 | 0 | 896 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 174 | 895 | 175 |
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.










