Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,829 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s 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 27) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 13s. 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 2.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here with the Donkin Bay lowdown in feet and knots.
Donkin Bay is a reef and point setup, and right now we've got some clean lines to chase. The water's running a bit colder than average for the time of year at 56°.
We kick off on Monday, July 27th. The morning session is your best early bet, with a 5ft SW groundswell pumping at 12 seconds. The combined energy is chunky at 1202, and with a light SSE cross-off breeze at 6 knots, the surface is clean. This is set for the experienced crew, and with crowds possible, get in early.
Monday afternoon turns ugly. The wind swings onshore and picks up, putting a chop on the 5ft SW swell. Leave the board at home.
Tuesday, July 28th looks far better, especially the morning. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SW with a longer 14-second period, pushing the energy to 1505. The wind is offshore from the east at 11 knots, so expect clean, lined-up waves. This one's for experts as it's got some grunt. Tuesday afternoon stays offshore but the wind freshens to 16 knots, keeping it clean but a bit more challenging.
From Wednesday the 29th through to Friday the 31st, the swell slowly fades from 5ft down to 3ft. The wind stays cross-off or offshore, keeping things tidy, but the energy drops hard—Wednesday morning was just 744 and by Friday afternoon it's down to 270. Small, clean days for a longboard, but not a standout.
Then we hit a dead spell. From Saturday, August 1st right through to Monday, August 3rd, the wind is all wrong and the swell direction shifts to WSW. The surf quality is poor, so save your energy.
Tuesday, August 4th brings a massive 12ft swell from the WSW, but it's too big. The energy is monstrous at 2996 and it's blowing straight onshore. This is a kiteboarding day, not for a paddle.
We get a proper window again on Wednesday, August 5th. The morning shows a 6ft WSW swell with clean conditions and a gentle cross-off breeze at 8 knots. Energy is back up to 841. By the afternoon it jumps to 7ft with an 11-second period, and the energy rockets to 1516. This is a standout for the second week—clean, punchy, and with just a light breeze.
Thursday, August 6th is a big one, but it's for experts only. A massive 10ft SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period rolls in. The energy is insane at 4082. The absolute highlight is the morning: glassy conditions with zero wind. This is a dream for a point break, but that long period will make the waves race. Too big for beginners.
Friday, August 7th is still hefty at 8ft to 10ft, but the wind is howling at 16 knots. Not your day.
Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th are the real standouts of the entire forecast. Saturday morning sees an 8ft SW groundswell (15-second period) with light offshore wind from the ESE at 5 knots. That energy of 2963 combined with clean conditions is world-class. Sunday morning is mirror-image perfect: 8ft SW groundswell, very long 15-second period, and a glassy offshore breeze from the ESE. Energy sits at 2612. These two mornings are the best on offer—powerful, clean, and uncrowded.
Monday, August 10th through to Tuesday, August 11th, the swell drops to 7ft-7ft and conditions remain clean, but the wind gets stronger and more cross-off. Still surfable, but the magic is done.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Mon morning, strong winds from the E by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Sat morning, light winds from the NNW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 505 | 772 | 2829 | 1505 | 1273 | 947 | 744 | 600 | 480 | 444 | 405 | 369 | 306 | 209 | 189 | 407 | 444 | 444 | 430 | 538 | 299 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 2:25PM1.42m | 2:31AM1.46m | 2:59PM1.51m | 3:05AM1.52m | 3:30PM1.59m | 3:37AM1.56m | 4:01PM1.65m | 4:09AM1.58m | 4:31PM1.69m | 4:42AM1.57m | 5:02PM1.69m | 5:15AM1.54m | 5:34PM1.67m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:19AM0.34m | 8:37PM0.41m | 8:51AM0.26m | 9:09PM0.33m | 9:21AM0.20m | 9:40PM0.28m | 9:49AM0.16m | 10:11PM0.24m | 10:17AM0.15m | 10:41PM0.22m | 10:45AM0.16m | 11:12PM0.22m | 11:15AM0.20m | 11:45PM0.24m | |||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — |
 | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 29 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 505 | 772 | 2829 | 1505 | 1273 | 947 | 744 | 600 | 480 | 444 | 405 | 369 | 306 | 209 | 189 | 407 | 444 | 444 | 430 | 538 | 299 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | — | — | SSW 4 | W 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | NW 4 | WNW 4 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 437 | 594 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 6 | 7 | 61 | 144 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 276 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 260 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 2 | ESE 2 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | E 3 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NW 3 | NW 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 101 | 0 | 3 | 103 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 30 | 117 | 30 | 40 | 254 | 248 | 3 |
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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