Surf Forecasts:
Donkin Bay surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 17s period, WSW swell with 2,214 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donkin Bay in the next 16 days are 1.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donkin Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right off the bat, the ocean’s looking a bit moody. The first real chance to get wet isn’t until Saturday the 15th, so we’ve got a few days of onshore junk and cross-off slop to wade through first. Wednesday and Thursday are straight-up write-offs with that wind howling, and Friday’s not much better. Just be patient, mate.
Then, Saturday morning (15th) is where it starts to turn. We’ve got a clean 6ft WSW swell rolling in with the wind swinging light offshore out of the east. That’s the kind of morning you set the alarm for. Donkin Bay (the reef and point setup) should be holding that swell nicely, and with barely any breeze, it’s going to be glassy. The period is 14 seconds, so there’s some proper energy behind it—the combined energy reading is 1039, which is moderate, but the shape should be there. This is the standout of the first week for sure.
Monday the 17th is another cracker. The swell jumps to 8ft from the WSW, and the morning session has that light south cross-off wind grooming it. The energy leaps to 1872, which is strong, and the period is 13 seconds. This is a proper push of groundswell. It’s a bit on the bigger side, so it’s one for the experienced crew. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with the cross-shore picking up, so make the most of the early session.
After that, things settle down a bit. Tuesday and Wednesday are smaller and more inconsistent, nothing to get too excited about. The water is running at 53°F right now, which is a solid 6°F colder than normal for this time of year—that’s properly chilly, so you’ll want the thick rubber on.
The following Saturday the 22nd has a bit of life again, with a clean 4ft swell and a moderate offshore breeze. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and should be fun on the point. The second week really tapers off though. The swells get smaller and the winds get messier, and by the 25th we’re looking at ankle-biters. The only other thing on the radar is the 27th, with a 6ft swell, but the periods are shorter and the cross-shore wind is going to chop it up.
So, to be honest, the pick of the lot is Saturday the 15th and Monday the 17th. Get out there before the window closes.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Fri afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NE on Thu morning, calm by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1301 | 1106 | 1164 | 1839 | 2048 | 1474 | 1121 | 1091 | 934 | 1034 | 1019 | 1190 | 1106 | 1127 | 1913 | 1872 | 1783 | 1487 | 920 | 774 | 560 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | off | cross | on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:11PM1.80m | 3:29AM1.74m | 3:51PM1.86m | 4:09AM1.73m | 4:28PM1.86m | 4:47AM1.68m | 5:04PM1.81m | 5:23AM1.59m | 5:39PM1.71m | 5:59AM1.48m | 6:13PM1.57m | 6:35AM1.35m | 6:50PM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:00AM0.04m | 9:26PM0.05m | 9:39AM0.00m | 10:06PM0.02m | 10:15AM0.02m | 10:44PM0.04m | 10:50AM0.08m | 11:20PM0.10m | 11:24AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.21m | 11:57AM0.30m | 00:30AM0.33m | 12:30PM0.44m | 1:07AM0.47m | |||||||
 | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — |
 | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 9 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 1301 | 1106 | 1164 | 1839 | 2048 | 1474 | 1121 | 1091 | 934 | 1034 | 1019 | 1190 | 1106 | 1127 | 1913 | 1872 | 1783 | 1487 | 920 | 774 | 560 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 10 | WSW 22 | — | NNW 4 | — | — | — | W 18 | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 73 | 37 | 308 | — | 6 | — | — | — | 300 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 4 |
| kJ | 28 | 20 | 33 | 47 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 17 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 101 | 101 | 201 | 216 | 248 | 40 | 117 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 101 | 101 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 56 | 56 | 215 | 103 |
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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