Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Donkin Bay over the next couple of weeks.

First things first, the water is running *much colder* than normal for this time of year, sitting at 54° – that’s a solid 6° below average, so you’ll want a thick suit.

The pattern starts off with a bit of a wait. There’s nothing worth paddling out for until Friday afternoon, September 4th. That first session is a clean one though – we’ve got a moderate offshore breeze from the ESE with a 3ft SSW swell. The energy is weak, coming in at only 295, but the conditions will be clean. It’s a soft start.

Saturday morning, September 5th, is tiny. We’re looking at a 1ft WSW swell with a gentle offshore and clean conditions, but it’s really just a grovel session. By the afternoon the wind swings onshore and the quality drops right off.

Sunday, September 6th, sees a jump in size. Morning brings a 5ft WSW groundswell with a very long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 1291, so there’s some grunt. But the wind is a cross-off from the east, which keeps it clean-ish. The long period means the sets will be fat and walled up at a beach setup, but for a reef and point like Donkin Bay, that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely. This is the first real standout of the run. The afternoon holds similar size at 4ft with a 16-second period, but the wind stays cross-off.

Monday, September 7th, is a write-off with cross-onshore winds all day on a 5ft swell. Not worth it.

Now, Tuesday morning, September 8th – this is your window. The wind goes glassy, absolutely dead calm, and there’s a clean 4ft WSW groundswell with a 12-second period. The energy is moderate at 413, and it’s going to be pristine. For a reef-point setup, that’s as good as it gets for a smaller day. Morning session is the call.

The rest of that first week into the second is a mixed bag of cross-shore winds and messy conditions, with waves bouncing between 2ft and 5ft. Not a lot to get excited about.

Saturday, September 12th, shows a pulse of bigger swell – 7ft by the afternoon with a 17-second period and combined energy hitting 2633. That’s serious power, but the wind is cross-onshore, putting a chop on it. This is more of a challenge, and at that size it’s for experienced surfers only.

Sunday, September 13th, is a complete loss with onshore winds and rain.

Now, mark your calendar for Tuesday morning, September 15th. The wind goes glassy again, dead calm, with a 6ft SW groundswell at 12 seconds. The energy is nearly 1000. That’s a solid, clean, powerful wave. Another standout.

The end of the run, Friday, September 18th, looks promising but it’s deep in the forecast. Morning has a light offshore from the southeast and a 8ft WSW swell with a 13-second period. Energy is 1909 – strong. The conditions will be clean. That is a proper session for experienced surfers, but being nine days out, you’ve got to keep an eye on it. The afternoon stays clean but drops a touch in size.

Saturday the 19th closes out the window with strong onshore winds and rain. Leave it.

The real standouts here are Tuesday morning, September 8th, and Tuesday morning, September 15th. Both offer glassy conditions with decent, clean swell at Donkin Bay. The big pulse on the 18th is worth watching but keep your expectations in check until it gets closer.

Rusty.

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