Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's coming up for Donkin Bay.

First off, the water is running much colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 55°F (South Africa). That is a solid 5°F colder than normal, so you’ll be wanting a thicker wetsuit.

Right now, we’re looking at a bit of a flat start. The first surfable waves don't show up until Monday the 31st of August, but even then, it’s pretty ordinary. You’ve got a 6ft groundswell from the WSW with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (807). The wind is a light cross-shore, so it’s not a total mess, but the report flags it as marginal. It’s a soft start to the week.

Tuesday the 1st of September looks a little better in the morning. The swell holds at 6ft from the SW, period drops to 11 seconds, and the wind is a moderate cross-offshore breeze, keeping things clean. The energy is still moderate (821). Afternoon goes downhill fast with a fresh cross-shore messing it up.

Now, the real standout is shaping up for Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning has a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period. That’s a long period, so expect plenty of energy and nice shaped waves. The combined energy is strong (2130). The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so there’s a slight chop, but it’s still very surfable. Afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a fresh cross-shore, but the morning window is the best call this week.

Now, hold on. Thursday the 3rd of September gets big. The morning sees a massive 16ft swell from the WSW, and the combined energy is very strong (5109). The wind is a moderate cross-shore with rain. The afternoon is a 13ft SW swell with a fresh cross-offshore wind, making it clean. But let’s be real – anything over 8ft is expert territory, and 16ft is a serious beast. This is for experienced chargers only. The reports say it’s too big for this break, so unless you’re a seasoned pro, sit this one out.

After that, the swell drops off fast. Friday the 4th of September has a clean 6ft SW swell in the morning with a fresh offshore wind, but the energy is low (725) and it’s still rated marginal. The rest of the weekend and into the next week is poor. The swell drops to under 3ft, and while the wind is often clean, there’s just no energy. From the 5th of September right through to the 11th of September, it’s a long, flat stretch with nothing worth paddling out for.

We get a little bump on Saturday the 12th of September with a 6ft to 6ft SW swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy. The energy is moderate (985 to 1103). It’s marginal at best.

Sunday the 13th of September has a 7ft swell in the morning with light onshore wind, but it’s still marginal. There’s a promising window on Monday the 14th of September with a 6ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s weak and messy.

The real long-range promise is on Tuesday the 15th of September afternoon. It’s a 3ft swell but with a very long 16-second period from the SW, and the combined energy is moderate (502). The wind is a strong onshore with rain, so it’s not clean, but there’s some energy in the water. It’s a long shot.

Overall, the best window is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. That 8ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period and light wind is the pick of the bunch. The second standout is Thursday the 3rd of September, but only for experts with the 13ft to 16ft swell. The rest of the 16 days is mostly flat or marginal. Keep an eye on the long-period pulses later in the second week, but they’re not a sure thing.

Rusty.

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