Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let’s get into it. The good news is we’ve got a solid swell window opening up here at Donkin Bay. The bad news is there’s a bit of a wait and some rough weather to sit through before the real gems show up. We’re looking at a classic run of building WSW groundswell, but the wind and conditions are going to be picky. Let’s break it down, starting with what’s on offer.

The first real chance to get wet comes Tuesday morning, the 4th of August. It’s not a huge day, with a 4.3 ft swell from the WSW, but the period is a decent 11 seconds and the wind is glassy from the SW. The water is sitting at 55° – about 3.6° colder than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a good hood and booties. The combined energy is moderate (411), but that glassy morning is going to be clean and user-friendly. It’s a good warm-up, not a standout.

Wednesday the 5th is a bit of a write-off. We get a jump in period to a very long 16 seconds, which is awesome for power, but the swell is dropping to 3.6 ft and the wind is cross-on. The energy jumps up (801), but it’s not going to be clean. I’d give it a miss.

Now, Thursday the 6th is where it starts to get serious. The swell pushes up to 8.2 ft from the WSW with a 13-second period. That’s a solid groundswell. The combined energy is strong (2457). But the morning is cross-on and the afternoon is the same. The wave quality is going to be a bit jumbled. This is expert territory at this size, and it’s not the cleanest. Kite surfers might be having more fun here than paddlers.

Here’s the first true standout for experienced surfers: Friday morning, the 7th of August. The swell is still a chunky 8.2 ft from the WSW, 13 seconds, and the wind is a light, clean cross-offshore from the south. That’s the combo we’ve been waiting for. The energy is very strong (2148), and the conditions are described as clean. This is a big day for big surfers, but beginners will need to sit this one out.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th still have solid 7.2 ft to 8.2 ft swell, but the wind is cranking. Saturday morning is clean with a strong cross-off (15 mph), but by Sunday we’re looking at 19-28 mph winds. That’s too much for nice surf, and it’s just going to be blown out. The wave energy is still high (1759-1914), but the wind is ruining the party.

Monday the 10th is a nice reset. The swell drops to 5.9 ft, period drops to 11 seconds, and the wind goes fully offshore from the ESE at 15 mph. The energy is moderate (703), but that offshore wind is going to groom the waves into clean, fun lines. This is a good session for intermediates.

After that, we hit a dry spell. Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 14th have very poor, either tiny swell (1.3 ft-2.3 ft) or huge, messy windswell. The wind is howling on the 12th and 13th. It’s a real lull.

The next real standout is Friday afternoon, the 14th of August. The swell is a nice 5.6 ft from the WSW, 14 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the south. The energy is moderate (1008), but the conditions are described as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a clean, powerful window for anyone who can handle it.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th is small and marginal, with 4.3 ft to 4.9 ft swell and light cross-onshore winds. Not worth stressing about.

Monday the 17th is a monster. The swell is 11.5 ft from the WSW, 14 seconds, with a massive energy of 4286. But the wind is a strong cross-onshore. This is purely for big-wave chargers, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The wind is not ideal.

The final stretch looks good. Tuesday morning, the 18th of August, has a 7.9 ft swell from the WSW, 13 seconds, with a light cross-offshore wind. The energy is very strong (1995), and the conditions are excellent. This is a top pick for the end of the forecast.

Wednesday morning, the 19th of August, is also a standout. The swell is 6.9 ft, 12 seconds, with a light cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong (1281), and the conditions are described as excellent. This is another clean, powerful session for experienced surfers.

Donkin Bay is a reef and point setup, so it’s not a beach break that will wall up straight. That long period groundswell (12-16 seconds) is going to wrap in nicely here, which is a bonus. The good news is that there are several consistent windows of good wind and solid swell, so the forecast is optimistic. The crowds are listed as “

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