
Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period, WSW swell with 2,212 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donkin Bay in the next 16 days are 2.3m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Donkin Bay.
We’ve got a quiet start to the outlook. Nothing doing for the first few days, but things start to wake up from Tuesday the 15th. The overall pattern shapes up with a few solid pulses of SW groundswell, but you’ll need to pick your windows carefully. The water is sitting at 56° which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget a hood if you’re sensitive.
The first real standout is Wednesday morning, July 15th. Donkin Bay is looking clean with a light cross-off wind and a 3ft swell from the WSW. The period is a very long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy – the sort of long, lined-up waves that love a reef-point setup like this. Combined energy is moderate at 469, but the quality is what counts. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and sweet.
The next big one comes Thursday morning, July 16th. The swell builds to 7ft from the SW with a 13-second period, delivering strong wave energy (1623). Winds are light and cross-off, keeping it clean. This is excellent surf, but at 7ft it’s getting into the realm where only experienced surfers should be out. If you’re intermediate, maybe stick to the morning and watch the sets.
The absolute best of the bunch, though, is Sunday morning, July 19th. Glassy conditions, a 6ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and strong wave energy (1010). It’s going to be smooth, lined up, and the kind of session you’ll be talking about. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.
After that, there’s a rough patch mid-week around July 21st with onshore winds and messy conditions – not worth the paddle. But then Wednesday morning, July 22nd, brings another glassy morning with a 6ft SW swell at 15 seconds. That’s excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets too big though – 10ft is just too much for this break.
Looking further out, the week of July 26th has a potential standout on Sunday morning, July 26th. Glassy, 8ft from the WSW with a very long 16-second period and massive energy (3211). That’s a big, clean groundswell. But it’s on the edge of being too big for most, and the long period will make it break straight and fast on the beach sections – it’ll be best to sit on the point or reef. Promising, but less certain this far out.
Overall, Donkin Bay has a few absolute gems if you time it right. The crowds can stack up when it’s good, so get there early. Keep an eye on the wind, and don’t sleep on those glassy mornings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
49 | 177 | 143 | 125 | 108 | 339 | 1067 | 2181 | 1623 | 1249 | 833 | 533 | 471 | 362 | 286 | 256 | 980 | 1010 | 698 | 417 | 315 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:38PM1.64m | 2:53AM1.71m | 3:25PM1.74m | 3:42AM1.73m | 4:11PM1.79m | 4:28AM1.70m | 4:54PM1.80m | 5:13AM1.64m | 5:37PM1.76m | 5:56AM1.54m | 6:19PM1.68m | 6:40AM1.43m | 7:01PM1.57m | 7:27AM1.31m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:48PM0.18m | 9:12AM0.04m | 9:37PM0.11m | 9:57AM0.01m | 10:24PM0.08m | 10:39AM0.03m | 11:09PM0.10m | 11:19AM0.10m | 11:53PM0.16m | 11:59AM0.20m | 00:37AM0.26m | 12:39PM0.32m | 1:23AM0.37m | 1:21PM0.45m | |||||||
— | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | |
5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | 6:02 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 10 |
40 | 177 | 143 | 125 | 108 | 339 | 1067 | 2181 | 1623 | 1249 | 833 | 533 | 471 | 362 | 286 | 256 | 980 | 1010 | 698 | 417 | 315 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 12 | SW 14 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 |
49 | 24 | 23 | 42 | 23 | 106 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | 47 | — | — | — | 33 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 18 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | W 18 | — |
19 | 28 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 24 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 49 | — | — | — | 6 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 32 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 101 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 0 | 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.











