Donkin Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.81° S 18.23° E

Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 08 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Donkin Bay sea temperature is
12.5°C
2.8° 

Donkin Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Donkin Bay surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 18s period, WSW swell with 2,685 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Donkin Bay in the next 16 days are 2.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 9th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 11s
Best Surf 2AM (Fri 11th Sep)7ft (2.2m) 13s
Most Powerful11PM (Tue 15th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, it’s been a bit of a slow start, but once we get past the middle of the month, Donkin Bay is going to be pumping. There’s a real mix of onshore junk and some absolute magic, so you’ll want to pick your moments.

The first few days are a write-off for a proper surf. Wednesday morning the 9th and Thursday the 10th are all cross-shore mess and marginal conditions, not worth paddling out for. The swell is there but the wind is all wrong. Even Friday the 11th has a fresh cross-shore and lumpy chop in the afternoon that’s a hard pass.

The first real glimmer comes Saturday morning the 12th. The wind swings south and goes cross-offshore, and the swell is a clean 2 ft from the SW with a period of 15 seconds. That’s a nice long-period groundswell, and the conditions are clean. Combined wave energy is moderate (572). Not a standout, but a decent session if you’re keen.

Sunday the 13th afternoon is another one to look at. The wind goes offshore from the ESE at 9 mph, clean and glassy, with a 5 ft SW swell. The 13-second period gives it good shape. Combined energy is moderate (801). That’s a solid session for an intermediate.

Now, the real action starts Wednesday the 16th. That morning, we’ve got a massive 12 ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore from the south at 22 mph. The combined energy is a huge 6800 – that’s very strong wave energy. The report says it might be too big for this break, and at that size, it’s only for experts. The afternoon is a bit more manageable at 8 ft with clean conditions. That Wednesday morning is the biggest pulse of the whole forecast.

The standout, though, is Friday the 18th afternoon. The swell is 6 ft from the WSW with a 15-second period, and the wind is offshore from the east at 12 mph. Clean, moderate offshore, and the combined energy is strong at 2035. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The conditions are clean, the swell direction matches the optimum SW, and it’s going to be a ripper of a session.

Saturday the 19th morning is also a cracker. A 7 ft SW swell, 14-second period, and a light south wind at 6 mph giving cross-offshore conditions. Clean, combined energy of 1495. More excellent surf for experienced surfers.

After that, Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st get wild again. Monday morning the 21st has a 10 ft SW swell with a 16-second period, offshore wind from the ESE, and combined energy of 4899. Again, too big for this break, but stunning conditions. That’s an expert-only session.

The last week is a bit of a fade. Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd are back to cross-shore chop and small swell, so by the end of the forecast, it’s petering out.

Water temp is about average for the time of year down at Donkin Bay. No big anomalies.

Crowds at Donkin Bay can be around sometimes, so on the best days, you might see a few others, but it’s not a zoo.

Bottom line: Friday the 18th afternoon is your best bet. Saturday the 19th morning is a close second. That Wednesday the 16th morning is a big one, but only if you’re a proper charger.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue night, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Fri afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 24°C on Fri night, min 13°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
0
2
2
1
4
2
0
2
3
3
1
2
3
3
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
WSW
11
0.5
WSW
14
0.7
WSW
13
1
WSW
12
1.2
WSW
16
1.8
WSW
14
2.2
SW
13
1.7
WSW
12
1.7
SW
12
1.7
SW
11
0.7
SW
15
1.4
SW
14
1.9
SW
16
1.7
SW
14
1.5
SW
13
1.3
SW
13
1
SW
13
1.7
WNW
7
0.8
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
151
105
154
320
649
1265
1551
893
836
708
217
846
1738
1154
792
560
321
244
167
Wind (km/h)
0
NNE
5
WNW
20
SW
5
WNW
20
SSW
25
SSW
15
S
5
SW
35
SSW
10
SSW
15
S
5
SW
20
NNW
10
NW
15
ESE
10
ENE
25
NW
30
NW
25
NNW
Wind State
glassy
on
cross
glassy
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
on
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
1:51AM1.59m
2:12PM1.73m
2:32AM1.68m
2:49PM1.83m
3:09AM1.73m
3:24PM1.87m
3:44AM1.73m
3:57PM1.86m
4:17AM1.69m
4:28PM1.79m
4:48AM1.61m
4:59PM1.68m
Low Tide
8:04AM0.14m
8:30PM0.09m
8:41AM0.07m
9:07PM0.01m
9:15AM0.04m
9:41PM-0.01m
9:48AM0.05m
10:13PM0.01m
10:19AM0.10m
10:44PM0.09m
10:49AM0.19m
11:14PM0.19m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:54
6:52
6:50
6:50
6:48
6:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:34
6:35
6:35
6:36
6:36
6:37
6:37
 mm
1
33
6
Temp °C
26
25
19
16
17
17
15
24
23
24
24
17
16
16
19
18
14
16
15
Feels °C
25
24
17
15
14
14
12
23
19
20
21
12
14
15
18
16
11
10
11
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Donkin Bay:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Donkin Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest