Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's take a look at what's coming our way.

Alright, we’ve got a solid window of swell on the horizon. The real standout is going to be a few days of clean, powerful surf from a solid SW groundswell, but you’ll need to be patient for the best of it. The water is running at 55° right now, which is a good 4° colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick steamer.

Let's kick things off this Saturday morning, the 25th of July. Donkin Bay is the only spot on the menu, and it’s looking good. We’ve got a solid 6 ft SW swell with a 13-second period rolling in, and the combined energy is a strong 1164. The wind is a light ENE breeze, cross-off, so the waves are clean. This is proper intermediate territory, with a bit of grunt. The afternoon drops off a touch to 6 ft as the wind swings SSE, but still cross-off and clean.

Sunday morning the 26th is a write-off. The wind is howling out of the NE at 28 mph, making a mess of the 6 ft swell. Don't bother. The afternoon settles a bit, but the wind goes cross-on, so it’s a scratchy one.

Monday the 27th is a return to form. The morning brings a 6 ft SW swell at 13 seconds with a combined energy of 1395. Wind is a light S breeze, cross-off, and the waves are clean. The afternoon stays clean, though the wind goes cross-shore, creating a bit of a cross-chop.

Now, here’s the pick of the first week. Tuesday the 28th. The morning is a beauty: 6 ft of SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a meaty 1402. The wind is offshore from the east at 16 mph, so it’s moderate offshore and clean. This is proper, clean, powerful surf. The afternoon holds the same 6 ft swell, the wind stays offshore from the SE at 16 mph, and it’s still clean. This is a top day for anyone who can handle it.

Wednesday the 29th sees the swell dropping to 5 ft. The morning is marginal, but the afternoon comes back with a 4 ft SW swell and a clean offshore wind from the SE at 16 mph. It’s good, but not the main event.

The rest of the week into the weekend drops off significantly. Thursday the 30th has 4 ft swell, and Friday the 31st has 3 ft – clean but small. Saturday the 1st of August is glassy with tiny 3 ft waves, and Sunday the 2nd is tiny again but with a very long period 19-second swell, which is a bit of a novelty for the point and reef setup here.

Looking into the second week, the swell picks up again. Monday the 3rd of August brings back a solid 6 ft SW swell at 14 seconds, with a combined energy of 1289, and the morning is clean with a light cross-off breeze. Tuesday the 4th is a glassy 5 ft swell in the morning, clean and punchy. Wednesday the 5th is the real standout of the second week: the afternoon session is glassy with a 6 ft WSW swell, 14-second period, and a combined energy of 1005. Glassy, clean, and powerful.

Thursday the 6th gets a bit wild and messy with a big 8 ft WSW swell, but the wind is onshore, so it’s a lumpy mess. The morning of Friday the 7th is the one for the big-wave crew: a clean 8 ft WSW swell with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 2098. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSE, so it’s clean. This is big, powerful, and expert-only territory. The afternoon holds the same size, but the wind picks up a bit.

The last few days of the outlook, Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th, are still in the 7 ft to 8 ft range, but the winds are less favourable, making it a bit of a battle. The big clean swell is definitely the Friday.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is Tuesday the 28th of July for a solid, clean, powerful day. The second standout is the glassy afternoon of Wednesday the 5th of August, and the big, clean, expert-only session on Friday the 7th of August.

Rusty.

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