Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at the swell window for the Donkin Bay area. It’s been a bit of a slow burner to start, but there’s some fun stuff lined up if you’re patient.

The water’s sitting at 53°F, which is a solid 6°F colder than it should be for this time of year. That’s a properly icy batch of water, so the thickest hood and boots you own are non-negotiable.

First up, Friday the 14th is a write-off. We’ve got a bit of swell in the water, but the northwest wind is making a mess of it – cross-onshore and choppy. Not worth the shiver.

Saturday the 15th morning is where it starts to get interesting. The wind swings around to a light offshore from the southeast, and the swell is a clean 6ft from the WSW with a 14-second period. You’ll find some proper lines at Donkin Bay (a reef and point set-up) with that long-period energy wrapping in nicely. The combined energy is moderate at 1051, and the light wind will have it looking glassy. It’s a decent option for the experienced crew, but the afternoon sees the wind shift and chop it up, so make the most of the early session.

Sunday the 16th morning has a touch more size, 6ft, but the northerly breeze puts a bit of chop on it. It’s not terrible, but the earlier clean lines are gone.

Monday the 17th morning is the standout of this first stretch. The swell bumps up to 8ft from the WSW, still with a 13-second period, and we’ve got a light cross-offshore wind from the south. The energy jumps into the strong range at 2279, and it’s going to be clean and powerful. This is proper reef-swell territory, but at 8ft it’s pushing well past the beginner zone – this is for the experienced surfers only. The afternoon wind picks up and makes it lumpy, so it’s a morning mission.

Tuesday the 18th morning offers another clean session, with 7ft and light cross-offshore winds. The energy is still strong at 1266, but it’s a step down from Monday. Still, good clean conditions mean a solid session for those who know what they’re doing.

After that, things drop off and turn a bit average. The middle of the week sees the swell ease off and the winds get messy, with a lot of cross-shore chop through the afternoons. There’s a low point here – a stretch of a few days, from the 19th through the 21st, where it’s just not worth paddling out, with the swell dropping to around 4ft and onshore winds making a mess of it.

But hold on, because the next proper window opens up on Saturday the 22nd. It’s a big one. We’ve got a serious pulse of swell coming in – 8ft in the morning, jumping up to a solid 10ft by the afternoon. The period stretches out to 16 seconds, and the energy is massive at 4724. This is a long-period, powerful groundswell. The caveat is that the afternoon wind is a strong 35 km/h cross-shore, which is going to make it lumpy and hard work. It’s marked as “too big for this break,” so unless you’re a proper charger, it’s a pass.

Sunday the 23rd morning cleans up, with a light cross-offshore and the swell still holding at 10ft from the SW with a 14-second period. Energy remains very strong at 3468. This is the same story – this is heavy, expert-only surf. Over 8ft is expert territory, and this is at the top end. The afternoon builds a fresh cross-shore wind and gets messy.

The following week sees the size drop back to a more manageable 7ft to 8ft range, but the winds are a mixed bag. Monday the 24th morning looks clean with light winds and a solid 7ft. Wednesday the 26th morning is also worth a look, with the ENE light breeze giving clean conditions and the swell at 7ft from the WSW.

So, the two true standouts in this whole window are the Monday morning sessions – the 17th and the 24th. Both have that clean, cross-offshore wind and solid, powerful WSW swell hitting the reef properly. The 22nd and 23rd have the biggest energy, but the combination of size and wind makes it a much more marginal and dangerous call. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or just average. Get your timing right and there are some memorable waves to be had.

Keep it salty.

Rusty

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