Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Donkin Bay.

The first half of this outlook is a slow tease, but the second half is where the real meat is. The water is running a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 56°, so don’t be fooled by the sun – you’ll want that extra rubber.

The wall of swell really starts to build from the very end of the first week and into the second, but we’ve got a few sessions before that to keep you sane.

Thursday afternoon (30th July) kicks things off. Donkin Bay is a reef and point set-up, and a 4ft SW groundswell (13 seconds) rolls in with a moderate offshore breeze from the SE. The combined energy is moderate at 405, and the surf is clean. It’s a solid, approachable start for the intermediate crew.

Friday morning (31st July) is a write-off – strong ENE winds at 25 mph blow the top off the 3ft SW swell. The afternoon cleans up a bit, but it’s only marginal. Saturday morning (1st August) is also a no-go, but Saturday afternoon is a stunner for the weekend surfer. The wind drops to glassy – 3 mph from the east – and the 3ft WSW swell is clean, with a combined energy of 368. The conditions are good, but the consistency is only fairly consistent, so you’ll be picking off the sets.

Sunday (2nd August) is a bit of a mixed bag with cross-shore winds, and the swell is small. It’s a wait-and-see day.

Now, here’s where the tone shifts. Monday morning (3rd August) is a standout. The wind is dead calm, glassy, and the swell jumps to 5ft from the WSW with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1121. This is a groundswell that will wrap beautifully around the point, giving you long, clean walls. For experienced surfers, this is the pick of the early window. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy, so get on it early.

Tuesday (4th August) and Wednesday (5th August) see the swell building steadily. Wednesday morning shows a 6ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds, with the combined energy hitting 1862 – strong. But the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect. Wednesday afternoon gets bigger at 8ft, but it’s too bumpy for a clean session.

Thursday morning (6th August) is another jewel. An 8ft SW groundswell (14 seconds) combines with a light cross-offshore breeze from the east. The energy is very strong at 2212, and the surf is clean. This is for the experienced crew only – the size is serious, but the shape and power will be there.

Friday morning (7th August) is glassy again, with an 8ft SW swell. You can’t buy better wind conditions for a solid swell. The combined energy is 2554. This is a heavy session, but if you’ve got the bottle, it’s world-class.

Saturday morning (8th August) and Sunday (9th August) are for the big dogs only. The swell hits 10ft on Saturday morning, and while the wind is light, the break is predicted to be too big for this set-up. Sunday morning sees a drop to 8ft, glassy, and it’s a better window for the experts.

From Monday (10th August) onwards, the wind starts to get messy, and the swell slowly drops. Tuesday (11th August) is a write-off with a near gale. Wednesday (12th August) sees a 5ft swell but with onshore winds, so it’s blown out for surfing. The energy is still there, but you’d be better off with a kite.

Thursday (13th August) and Friday (14th August) are back to 10ft SSW swells, but the wind is either cross-off or light, making it clean. The sheer size means it’s still only for the expert crew, and the energy is off the charts at 4562 and 3434. These are big, powerful waves.

The absolute standout for the whole period? Monday morning (3rd August) – the switch to glassy conditions and that 5ft, 15-second groundswell is a dream session for the intermediate and above. If you want size, Friday morning (7th August) is the big, clean, expert-only session. The rest of the second week is promising, but the long-range confidence is lower, so keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

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