Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s period, WSW swell with 1,866 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period. 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 2.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, lookin' at the local stretch.
Donkin Bay is a reef and point that gets waves pretty regularly. The water is 55°F, which is about 4°F colder than it should be this time of year – that is a serious chill, you'll want the thickest rubber you own.
We start off Monday morning, August 24th, with a clean 5ft swell from the WSW, period about 12 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 698, and with that light cross-off breeze from the south, it'll be real clean. Go get it early. By the afternoon, a 25 km/h cross-shore wind messes it up, so forget the PM session.
Tuesday the 25th, the swell bumps up a fraction to 6ft, but it's frustrating. That 14-second period has got some punch (1336 energy), but the cross-shore wind makes the surface lumpy, especially later. It's a maybe.
Wednesday the 26th, morning looks sweet again. A clean 5ft from the WSW with 13 seconds of period, and a light offshore from the ESE makes for a groomed wave. Energy is 848. Get on it.
Thursday the 27th is a gem. Swell is down to 4ft, but the wind is glassy. A NNE breeze at just 5 km/h makes it look like a lake. A gentle 12-second period will push in some little lines. It's small, but it's *perfect*.
Friday the 28th is a write-off. A howling 40 km/h wind from the ENE just destroys everything, even with a long 16-second period swell. Don't bother.
The weekend drifts into a lull. Saturday the 29th has a cross-onshore breeze and weak, messy surf, although it picks up to 4ft in the afternoon with a very long 16-second period. Still not clean enough to get excited. Sunday the 30th is a complete skip with 45 km/h winds chopping up an 8ft swell.
Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are still just okay. Swell hangs around (6ft to 7ft), but moderate cross-shore winds keep it bumpy.
Now, a big heads-up for the start of September. Wednesday the 2nd is only for the kamikazes. A 40 km/h onshore gale is smashing into a 13ft swell. It's a washing machine.
Thursday the 3rd of September is a standout, but for experts only. The wind turns light and southerly, and we get a massive 10ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period. The energy reading is a massive 5285 – that’s a ton of power. With light cross-off wind, this reef and point will be a proper beast. If you've got the balls, be there.
Friday the 4th of September is your best bet for a fun time. The swell drops to a clean 5ft from the SW with a 13-second period, and the wind is barely a puff from the SSE. It will be excellent and clean. A great session for experienced surfers.
The weekend of the 5th and 6th fades out fast as the swell drops and the wind howls from the south again.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the ENE by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 698 | 681 | 335 | 1253 | 1491 | 1218 | 848 | 702 | 472 | 365 | 347 | 190 | 259 | 213 | 307 | 378 | 796 | 813 | 1594 | 1847 | 1866 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:31PM1.32m | 1:37AM1.37m | 2:03PM1.46m | 2:11AM1.47m | 2:33PM1.58m | 2:42AM1.56m | 3:02PM1.68m | 3:13AM1.63m | 3:31PM1.76m | 3:44AM1.66m | 4:00PM1.80m | 4:16AM1.67m | 4:31PM1.79m | 4:49AM1.63m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:47PM0.49m | 7:59AM0.34m | 8:18PM0.37m | 8:27AM0.25m | 8:47PM0.27m | 8:54AM0.17m | 9:15PM0.18m | 9:21AM0.12m | 9:43PM0.12m | 9:48AM0.09m | 10:12PM0.08m | 10:17AM0.10m | 10:43PM0.09m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 32 | 33 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 28 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 698 | 681 | 160 | 1253 | 1491 | 1218 | 848 | 702 | 472 | 365 | 347 | 190 | 149 | 213 | 307 | 378 | 796 | 813 | 1594 | 1847 | 1866 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 11 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | SSW 15 | W 18 | — | SSW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | NW 5 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 206 | 83 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 6 | — | 76 | 259 | 133 | 58 | 206 | 250 | 3 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | S 4 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 335 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 85 | 3 | 20 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 4 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | WSW 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 16 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 8 | 42 | 17 | 9 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 253 | 0 | 56 | 491 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 117 | 57 | 101 | 101 | 0 | 268 | 509 | 258 |
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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