Dondra Surf Break

Lat Long: 5.92° N 80.60° E

Dondra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 28 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Dondra sea temperature is
28.1° C
0.5° 

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


Dondra surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SSW swell with 998 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dondra this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Dondra in the next 16 days are 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (+0530) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful11AM (Tue 4th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the lineup. Let's get stuck into this one.

We're looking at a 16-day window for Dondra, and to be honest, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The overall pattern is one of persistent, moderate to fresh cross-offshore winds blowing from the west. The swell is on the small side for the most part, with a few pulses of bigger, shorter-period stuff later on. The main takeaway is that the surf is consistently described as "marginal" with low scores. The wind, while cross-off, is a bit too strong for perfect glass, keeping things a little lumpy.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Tuesday, the 28th of July. You're looking at a 3.3ft swell from the SE with a 10-second period, but the real energy is modest at 407. The water temperature is a comfortable 82.6°, which is about 0.9° warmer than average for this time of year, so it's pretty standard for the tropics. The wind is a Moderate breeze at 15 mph from the W, making it cross-off, so the wave faces will be clean, but the surface will have a bit of texture.

The standout swell in the first week looks to be late on Friday, the 31st of July. The afternoon session picks up to 3.9ft from the SSW with a long 18-second period, pushing a solid 1280 combined energy. That's a decent groundswell pulse. The wind backs off slightly to 12 mph from the WNW, still cross-off. This is your best bet for the first week. The long period will mean longer waits between sets, but the waves will have more shape and power. It's a reef break, so that long-period energy will wrap in nicely.

After that, the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August sees the swell holding around 4.3ft, but the wind picks back up to a Fresh breeze, making it less inviting. The tide turns on Sunday, the 2nd, with a bump to 7.9ft from the W, but the period drops to just 8 seconds. That's a short-period, wind-driven swell that will be a bit lumpy and less powerful for a reef. At over 7.9ft, this is getting into more expert territory.

The second week of the forecast is a bit of a blur. From the 3rd of August onwards, the wind stays strong at 18-22 mph from the W or WNW. The swell fluctuates between 3.3ft and 7.2ft, mostly from the SSW, with some decent periods in the 14-20 second range. The energy figures are high, hitting 2915 on the 9th of August, but the constant wind chop will keep the quality down. The biggest wave days around the 8th and 9th of August with 5.9ft to 7.2ft are only for the experienced crew in those conditions.

For a standout in the second week, keep an eye on Friday, the 7th of August. The afternoon shows a 5.2ft swell from the S with a 14-second period and a massive 2322 energy. It's still a gamble with the wind, but that's the most promising looking pulse in the later part of the run.

Crowds at Dondra can be a thing sometimes, so don't expect a total solo session. But given the persistent wind and marginal quality, it might keep the crowds down.

Overall, the pick of the week is the Friday afternoon session on the 31st of July. It's the best combo of decent size, good long period, and the lightest winds. The rest of the 16 days looks like a grind with the wind, but that one window is worth checking out.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly fresh winds.

Tue
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
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)
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
16
1
SSW
14
0.7
SW
20
0.7
SW
19
0.9
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1.3
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
2.5
W
8
2.5
W
8
2.1
W
9
2.1
W
8
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
15
1.3
SSW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
291
277
400
400
376
497
486
452
447
514
817
788
674
804
866
702
569
715
544
980
Wind (km/h)
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
W
20
W
25
WSW
25
W
20
W
25
W
20
WNW
25
W
30
W
30
W
25
W
30
W
35
WNW
25
WNW
30
W
25
W
25
W
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
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
High Tide
2:46AM0.42m
2:38PM0.53m
3:11AM0.45m
3:04PM0.54m
3:36AM0.48m
3:29PM0.55m
4:02AM0.50m
3:55PM0.54m
4:28AM0.51m
4:21PM0.52m
4:55AM0.52m
4:47PM0.48m
5:25AM0.51m
Low Tide
8:42PM0.06m
8:27AM0.12m
9:05PM0.04m
8:56AM0.09m
9:28PM0.01m
9:24AM0.08m
9:51PM0.00m
9:53AM0.08m
10:14PM0.00m
10:23AM0.08m
10:37PM0.01m
10:55AM0.10m
11:01PM0.03m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:24
6:24
6:24
6:24
6:24
6:24
6:23
 mm
2
5
2
3
6
4
3
10
5
4
4
1
3
6
1
1
14
Temp °C
29
27
28
28
26
28
28
27
28
27
26
29
29
27
26
26
26
28
28
27
Feels °C
29
29
28
28
28
28
28
29
29
28
28
28
28
27
26
25
25
27
27
27
  • 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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