Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with 2,453 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s 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 Saturday (Aug 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donkin Bay in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right off the bat, the forecast is pointing at Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of August as the clear standouts. First up, Donkin Bay (Eastern Cape) on Saturday morning – we’re looking at a solid 6ft WSW groundswell with a 14-second period, and the ESE offshore wind is just kissing the surface. The water’s sitting pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there. With clean conditions and that long-period energy, it’s set up proper for the experienced crew—an easy standout.
Sunday the 16th rolls in even better. The swell nudges up to 6ft, period drops a touch to 13 seconds, but the wind goes glassy, WNW offshore, and it’s dead clean. That’s the session to circle on the calendar. It’s pushing toward the bigger side for intermediates, but the quality is there.
After that, the week settles into a bit of a lull. Monday the 17th pushes up to 8ft but the wind swings cross-shore, and it gets messy—not worth paddling out for the average punter. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th have some cleaner windows (cross-off winds, 7ft and 7ft SW swells), but it’s inconsistent and the afternoons get chopped up by a fresh cross-shore breeze. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st drop off to around 4ft–5ft, weaker energy, and it’s just not doing much.
Saturday the 22nd is a write-off – strong onshore winds and poor surf. But hang in there, because Sunday the 23rd brings a nice pulse: 8ft SW with a gentle ESE offshore and clean conditions. That’s another solid window for experienced surfers, though the consistency is still mixed.
After that, it’s mostly marginal. Monday the 24th has some clean but small surf (5ft), and the week drags through mostly cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. The standout in the second week is Sunday the 30th – 7ft SW with an ENE cross-off and light winds, looking clean and promising. It’s a long way out, so treat it as a “keep an eye on it” kind of thing rather than set plans.
The energy’s been moderate to strong throughout – you’ll see numbers like 1051 and 1144 on the good days, and it drops below 500 on the flat ones. All in all, the first weekend is your best bet, with a couple of promising windows further out if the winds behave.
Stay salty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 934 | 1034 | 1019 | 1364 | 1144 | 1464 | 2378 | 2279 | 1872 | 1668 | 1301 | 1216 | 1091 | 1220 | 1025 | 798 | 611 | 524 | 433 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross | on | glassy | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:47AM1.68m | 5:04PM1.81m | 5:23AM1.59m | 5:39PM1.71m | 5:59AM1.48m | 6:13PM1.57m | 6:35AM1.35m | 6:50PM1.42m | 7:17AM1.22m | 7:33PM1.27m | 8:14AM1.10m | 8:39PM1.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:08PM0.57m | 1:54AM0.60m | 2:00PM0.70m | 3:19AM0.69m | ||||||
 |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | 6:19 | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 934 | 1034 | 1019 | 1364 | 1144 | 1464 | 2378 | 2279 | 1872 | 1668 | 1301 | 1216 | 1091 | 1220 | 1025 | 798 | 611 | 524 | 433 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | W 6 | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 |
| kJ | 9 | 17 | 57 | — | — | — | — | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 83 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SW 7 | — | SW 4 | — | — | SW 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 151 | — | 11 | — | — | 18 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 56 | 101 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 2 | 101 | 216 | 0 | 491 | 0 | 103 | 216 | 0 | 56 | 215 | 56 |
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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