Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 17s period, WSW swell with 2,303 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 15s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Donkin Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donkin Bay in the next 16 days are 2.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the menu at Donkin Bay over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a solid run of surf ahead, but it’s not all going to be clean. The first couple of days are a write-off; there’s swell, but the wind and conditions are ugly. The real story starts to build from Friday afternoon and into the weekend, with the standout window looking like Saturday morning, 15th August.
The water is a notable story here. At the start of the period, it’s sitting at 53.1°F, which is a massive 5.8°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit.
The first real glimmer of hope is Friday afternoon, 14th August. We’ve got a clean 5.2ft swell from the WSW with a 15-second period, and light cross-off winds. The combined wave energy is moderate (1091), but the conditions are clean and the swell has some weight to it. It’s not the biggest, but it’s the first decent session.
The standout is Saturday morning, 15th August. The swell holds at 5.6ft from the WSW, period 14 seconds, and the wind goes glassy offshore from the east at just 3 mph. The break will be clean as a whistle. The combined energy is moderate (1039), but the offshore wind and clean conditions make this the best call of the whole forecast. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
Sunday morning, 16th August offers a similar 5.9ft WSW swell, but the wind is cross-shore, so it won’t be as pristine. Still surfable, just not as good as the day before.
Into the following week, Monday morning, 17th August sees a bigger 7.5ft swell from the WSW (13-second period) with light cross-off winds. The combined energy is strong (1872), and it’s clean. That’s for experienced surfers only at that size. Saturday morning, 22nd August looks promising again with a 4.6ft swell, offshore east winds, and clean conditions, though it’s a smaller swell.
The long-range stuff around Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th August shows some solid pulses of swell (4.9ft to 6.9ft) with very long periods (14-18 seconds). That’s proper groundswell energy, with combined energy hitting strong values (up to 2602). The winds are mostly offshore or cross-off, so if you’re an experienced surfer, the potential is there, but it’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it.
Overall, Saturday morning, 15th August is the pick of the fortnight. Get on it.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Fri afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NE on Thu morning, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1106 | 1164 | 1667 | 2048 | 1474 | 1121 | 1091 | 934 | 1034 | 1019 | 1231 | 1106 | 1321 | 1830 | 1872 | 1778 | 1430 | 986 | 861 | 591 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross | on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:11PM1.80m | 3:29AM1.74m | 3:51PM1.86m | 4:09AM1.73m | 4:28PM1.86m | 4:47AM1.68m | 5:04PM1.81m | 5:23AM1.59m | 5:39PM1.71m | 5:59AM1.48m | 6:13PM1.57m | 6:35AM1.35m | 6:50PM1.42m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:26PM0.05m | 9:39AM0.00m | 10:06PM0.02m | 10:15AM0.02m | 10:44PM0.04m | 10:50AM0.08m | 11:20PM0.10m | 11:24AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.21m | 11:57AM0.30m | 00:30AM0.33m | 12:30PM0.44m | 1:07AM0.47m | |||||||
 |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — |
 | 6:17 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
| kJ | 1106 | 1164 | 1667 | 2048 | 1474 | 1121 | 1091 | 934 | 1034 | 1019 | 1231 | 1106 | 1321 | 1830 | 1872 | 1778 | 1430 | 986 | 861 | 591 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | WSW 22 | — | — | — | WNW 4 | — | W 18 | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 37 | 308 | — | — | — | 7 | — | 300 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | SW 3 |
| kJ | 29 | 33 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 101 | 185 | 216 | 30 | 40 | 211 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 101 | 56 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 56 | 56 | 221 | 103 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Donkin Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Donkin Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Donkin Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Donkin Bay 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 (Donkin Bay) 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 Donkin Bay 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.
Donkin Bay is 136 km (84 miles) from Saldanha. If you plan a holiday in West Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Saldanha. Saldanha has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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