Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next 16 days: Donkin Bay. It’s a reef and point setup, and it’s fairly consistent, so there’s always a chance of a wave—but we’ve got to work through a bit of a slow start to get to the good stuff.

Right now, the water is sitting at 54.5°F, which is a solid 4.1°F colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a notable chill, so don’t even think about a thin spring suit—you’ll be needing the thick rubber.

The first real surf window kicks off on Monday morning, August 3rd, but it’s a tough one. There’s a 3.6ft SW swell rolling in with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is weak at 474. The problem is a fresh NE wind blowing 30 km/h cross-off. It’s clean, but the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about, and the score reflects that. The afternoon sees a bit more size at 4.3ft from the WSW, period up to 13 seconds, but the wind shifts to a light SSW cross. The energy is still moderate at 572. It’s marginal, not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday, August 4th, starts cloudy with a 4.3ft WSW swell, but the wind is a messy onshore from the WNW at 15 km/h. The energy is moderate at 411. Rubbish. The afternoon, however, shows a glimmer: the wind drops to glassy, calm conditions, with a 3.6ft SW swell and 11-second period. The combined energy is 320. It’s small, but glassy clean surf is always worth a look if you’re desperate for a wave.

Wednesday, August 5th, is a write-off in the morning—cross-on wind, 3.6ft SW swell, but the period is a long 16 seconds. The energy is moderate at 742, but the wind ruins it. The afternoon gets bigger, with a 5.6ft WSW swell and a 16-second period, pushing the energy to 1381. That’s a solid groundswell, but the onshore wind from the WNW is still on it, and the tide might be an issue. It’s marginal.

Now, Thursday, August 6th, is where things start to get interesting for the experienced crew. The morning shows a 8.2ft WSW swell with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is strong at 2299. That’s a serious amount of water moving. However, the wind is a light cross-onshore from the N at 10 km/h, so there’s a bit of ripple. It’s big enough that beginners should stay out—over 8.2ft is expert territory. The afternoon holds at 7.9ft, but the wind picks up to a moderate SW cross, making it lumpy. Still, there’s power.

But the standout of the whole run is Friday morning, August 7th. Glassy conditions with a light ESE breeze at 5 km/h, a 7.9ft SW swell with a 14-second period (long period groundswell), and the combined energy is a massive 2374. The report says excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. This is the one. The swell direction is SW, which matches the optimum for Donkin Bay. The only caveat is that long period swells can break a bit straight at beach breaks, but this is a reef and point setup, so it should handle that energy beautifully. Expect powerful, clean lines. The afternoon is still good with a 7.9ft swell and a cross-off wind from the S at 20 km/h, keeping it clean, but the morning is the gold.

Saturday, August 8th, is still solid with a 6.9ft SW swell, 13-second period, and 1589 energy. The morning cross-off wind from the S at 15 km/h keeps it clean. The afternoon gets messy with a strong cross-chop. Sunday, August 9th, has size (7.9ft) but the wind is howling at 40 km/h, making it a mess. Not worth it.

From Monday, August 10th, the swell drops back to 4.9ft and smaller, with clean cross-off winds but weak energy. There’s a bit of a lull in the middle of the week. Then, heading into the second week, we see a promising pulse building again.

Wednesday, August 12th, shows a 4.6ft WSW swell with a very long 20-second period, energy at 1541. The wind is a fresh cross-off from the NE

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