Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, WSW swell with 2,412 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with SW 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 (Sep 12) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 12s. 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 2.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.
The swell is going to be patchy at best, and honestly, the first week is a real mixed bag with a lot of marginal or poor conditions. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent suit.
The standout by a long shot is Saturday morning, the 20th of September. The rest of the period is pretty average.
Donkin Bay gets the first pulse of decent swell on Friday the 11th, but a cross-shore wind and 9 mph will leave it with a slight chop. Not a great way to start. The weekend picks up a bit more energy, but the winds are frustrating. Saturday the 12th morning looks the cleanest with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is a modest 4 ft from the SW. Sunday the 13th morning is similar – clean, but you’re fighting for shape with a solid 6 ft SW groundswell (14-second period). It’s a reef and point, so the long period should work nicely here, but the consistency is only “fairly consistent” so don’t expect a wave every set.
Monday the 14th is a write-off with howling 25 mph cross-onshore winds. That’s kite-surfing territory. Tuesday the 15th drops right off. Then we get a solid push on Wednesday the 16th: a 8 ft to 8 ft SW swell, but the wind is messy again. The morning is okay with light cross-shore airs, but the swell’s big – over 8 ft in the afternoon – so that’s expert-only, and the fresh cross-chop will make it a handful. The combined energy is massive at 3115 but the quality isn’t there.
Thursday the 17th cleans up a bit in the morning with a cross-offshore breeze on a dropping 4 ft SW swell. Then the real gem is Saturday the 20th of September – that’s a week and a half away. The afternoon at Donkin Bay looks proper. You’ve got clear skies, a 12 mph offshore breeze from the east, and a clean 4 ft WS-SW groundswell with a long 14-second period. The break is a reef and point, which is exactly where you want a long-period swell like this – it won’t just close out. The energy is moderate at 612, but the quality could be very good. Crowds are “sometimes” here, so you might get a few other heads out.
Overall, there are some pretty long flat or shitty gaps in between. The first real clean shot isn’t until the 20th. If you’re keen between now and then, the morning of the 12th or 13th might be worth a look, but the 20th afternoon is the one worth saving your energy for.
— Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 25°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Sat night, fresh winds from the WNW by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | NW 8 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 18 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1100 | 1042 | 400 | 413 | 1443 | 1909 | 1187 | 828 | 560 | 336 | 490 | 199 | 142 | 390 | 2098 | 2280 | 2310 | 775 | 319 | 426 | 1352 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 3:24PM1.87m | 3:44AM1.73m | 3:57PM1.86m | 4:17AM1.69m | 4:28PM1.79m | 4:48AM1.61m | 4:59PM1.68m | 5:20AM1.51m | 5:30PM1.54m | 5:51AM1.38m | 6:02PM1.39m | 6:27AM1.25m | 6:40PM1.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:19AM0.30m | 11:43PM0.32m | 11:49AM0.43m | 00:14AM0.45m | 12:21PM0.57m | 00:52AM0.59m | |||||||
 | |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | |  | |  | |  | | | | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:38 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | W 7 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 8 | WSW 11 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 1100 | 1042 | 400 | 246 | 1443 | 1909 | 1187 | 828 | 560 | 321 | 216 | 199 | 142 | 57 | 2098 | 2280 | 805 | 775 | 162 | 426 | 1352 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 19 | SW 11 | NW 6 | — | — | — | SW 12 | SW 15 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 336 | 332 | 312 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 145 | 13 | — | — | — | 319 | 176 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | WSW 12 | W 12 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 197 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 390 | — | — | — | — | 236 | 106 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 5 | — | SW 11 | — | — | — | WNW 4 | NW 4 | NW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 8 | — | SSW 7 | — |
| kJ | — | 38 | — | 413 | — | — | — | 7 | 29 | 336 | 490 | 178 | 64 | — | — | — | 2310 | 445 | — | 93 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 56 | 491 | 0 | 215 | 227 | 101 | 30 | 215 | 254 | 379 | 370 | 248 | 370 | 379 | 0 | 56 | 286 | 253 | 233 | 471 | 0 |
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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