Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checking in from Donkin Bay. We've got a bit of a mixed bag of a forecast coming up, so let’s break it down. Things start off a bit rough, but there are some real gems hidden in the next couple of weeks if you know when to go.

The week starts with a pulse of solid SW swell on Wednesday the 19th, with the swell coming in at 7ft and a 12 second period. The combined energy is a solid 1315 (moderate wave energy). But don’t get too excited just yet; the wind is a cross-shore and it’s got some lump to it, making for marginal conditions. Not the day to call in sick. The water temp is pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild to report there.

Thursday the 20th morning is where it starts to look good. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell from the SW with a 12 second period (1059 combined energy – moderate). The wind is a light cross-off breeze from the SSE, and it’s going to be clean. That’s a solid window for an intermediate surfer. As a reef and point break exposed to the SW, it’s going to handle that swell just right. The afternoon gets a fresh cross-shore wind and gets lumpy again, so be an early bird.

Friday the 21st is a write-off with poor conditions and onshore winds. Same for Saturday the 22nd afternoon, but don’t write off Saturday morning! On the 22nd morning, we get a drop in size to 4ft SW swell, but the wind is glassy – WNW at 3 mph. That’s a magic window for a longboard or a fun fish. The combined energy drops to 361 (weak wave energy), so it’ll be small and gentle, but perfectly clean.

Sunday the 23rd morning is the standout of the first week. The swell bumps back up to 8ft from the WSW at a solid 13 seconds (1700 combined energy – strong wave energy). The wind is light cross-off from the S, and it’s described as “clean.” This is a true standout for experienced surfers. It’s a fairly consistent spot, and with a 8ft groundswell, it’ll be powerful. Donkin Bay is a point and reef setup, which loves that longer period, so the waves should be well-shaped.

The middle of the week (24th and 25th) has some more clean windows, but the swell dips a bit. The 25th Tuesday morning is another beauty: 6ft SW swell with a long 14 second period (1293 combined energy – strong wave energy) under a light cross-off breeze. The afternoon stays clean, just with a moderate breeze.

Looking into the second week, the pattern gets a bit more funky. The 27th Thursday morning looks promising with a small 4ft swell from the WSW and glassy conditions (505 combined energy – moderate). It’ll be small but clean.

The real big dog shows up on the 29th of August (Saturday) morning. That’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it. The model is showing a 8ft WSW swell at a very long 14 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a massive 2661 (very strong wave energy). That’s a lot of power. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so there might be a bit of chop, but the swell size is for experts only. At 8ft, this is no joke. The 30th Sunday is also big, with offshore winds and clean conditions on the afternoon – that is a serious look for experienced dudes.

There's then a bit of a gap with poor wind and onshore conditions until the 2nd of September (Wednesday) morning, which is looking clean with a 6ft WSW swell and a light cross-off breeze (1173 combined energy). Then, on the 3rd of September (Thursday) morning, the forecast has a massive 13ft WSW swell with a 14 second period and combined energy of 6050 (very strong wave energy). That is a massive, dangerous swell. The file even says it might be too big for this break, so unless you are a top-tier charger and know the lineup intimately, that one is for watching, not paddling.

Overall, the best bets are the mornings of the 20th, the 23rd, the 27th, and the 30th of August. For the absolute standout, I’d be circling Sunday the 23rd of August morning and the Sunday the 30th of August afternoon. Keep it salty.

- Rusty

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