Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got Donkin Bay on the table, a reef and point set-up that usually needs a good SW swell to work. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s wade through it.

The overall pattern is lumpy and messy for a while, with a couple of serious standouts if you’re willing to wait for them. The water is sitting at 14° right now, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the rubber.

We kick off on Thursday the 10th of September, but it’s nothing to write home about. Thursday morning shows a 4 ft swell from the WSW, period at a very long 16 seconds, but it’s a cross-shore wind and the combined energy is moderate (1185). The wave comment calls it marginal, and the scores are low. This is a point break, so that long period might actually hold up better here than at a beach break, but the wind is just not clean. Afternoon gets worse – wind ramps up to 30 km/h, cross-shore, lumpy, and the swell jumps to 6 ft but it’s messy. Skip it.

Friday the 11th is similar. A 6 ft swell from the WSW in the morning, period dropping to 12 seconds, still cross-shore with a light breeze. The energy is still moderate (1039). It’s surfable for a strong intermediate, but the quality is low. The afternoon is a write-off with stronger cross-shore wind.

Saturday the 12th morning is the first real glimmer of hope. We get a 4 ft swell from the SW, period 11 seconds, and the wind is cross-offshore from the S at 25 km/h. The energy is moderate (738) and the wave comment says “clean.” This is a lovely window for a point break – clean conditions, decent size, not too big. It’s the best of the early days. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so you might have company. The afternoon turns ugly again with a fresh 35 km/h cross-shore wind, so get your session in early.

Sunday the 13th is a total mess. Onshore wind from the NW at 20 km/h, 6 ft swell, poor conditions. Not worth your time.

Monday the 14th through to Tuesday the 15th is a complete gap. Strong onshore winds, lumpy, messy, and the swell is either too small or too big and poorly aligned. The scores are zero across the board. A solid 3-4 days of nothing.

Now, here’s the big one. Wednesday the 16th of September morning. Clear skies, cross-offshore wind from the SSW at 35 km/h, and a 10 ft swell from the SW. The period is 14 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 6176 – that’s very strong. The wave comment says “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” This is a serious west swell, and at 10 ft, it’s going to be a heavy, meaty wave at Donkin Bay. This is for experts only. If you’re confident, this is the standout of the entire forecast. The wind is clean, and the swell direction is right on the optimum (SW). The afternoon will be blown out again, so it’s a one-shot morning mission.

Thursday the 17th of September morning is also a beauty. Offshore wind from the ESE at 25 km/h, 5 ft swell from the SW, 12-second period. Combined energy is moderate (1051). The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a very good, clean day with a moderate offshore wind and a solid SW groundswell. Not as huge as the 16th, but much more manageable. This is likely the best all-rounder for intermediate crew.

After that, the outlook drops off. Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th are marginal at best, with cross-offshore winds but weak energy and poor scores. The 20th of September Sunday is a cross-shore mess again.

Then we get one more possible stand-out on Monday the 21st of September morning. An 8 ft swell from the SW, period 16 seconds, cross-offshore wind from the S. The combined energy is very strong (3483). The wave comment is marginal, but clean conditions. This is a big, long-period swell. At 8 ft, it’s for experts again. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the size and power will be intense. The afternoon is a near-gale disaster.

Tuesday the 22nd and beyond is a slow fade out. Clean winds but weak energy, small swell, and nothing to get excited about.

So, the one true standout that you should mark on your calendar is Wednesday the 16th of September morning for the big-wave experts, and Thursday the 17th of September morning for the rest of us. The 12th of September morning is a decent warm-up if you’re keen.

Rusty

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