Donkin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, surfers. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next 16 days. Donkin Bay is our only spot, a reef and point set-up, and it’s got a real split personality on the cards. The water is currently way colder than usual for this time of year, a proper 2.1° chill on the long-term average, so definitely dig out the 5/4 and booties if you’ve got ‘em.

We kick off with a bit of a false start. Early Saturday morning (22nd August) is a no-go with small, only 4.3ft swell and cross winds messing it up. There’s a weak energy here, so not worth paddling out. By Saturday afternoon the wind picks up, and it’s poor.

The first real hope lands Sunday morning, 23rd August. We’ve got clean conditions with that light SSE breeze blowing cross-off, and the swell jumps to 6.2ft from the WSW. The period is a long 13 seconds, so this is proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is massive, and the wave comment says ‘excellent for experienced surfers’. With the swell just under 7ft, it’s solid intermediate territory. That 6.2ft WSW swell with 13-second intervals is the standout for the whole run.

Sunday afternoon holds at 5.9ft with the same WSW direction but the wind gets stronger, so it’s not as sweet. Monday morning (24th August) is still very good with 5.2ft, clean, and light breezes.

Tuesday the 25th is another cracker of a morning. We get 6.2ft of SW swell, steady at 14 seconds, and clean offshore-esque winds from the SSE. The energy is huge. This is top-notch for experienced surfers again. Afternoon gets messy as the wind shifts, so get out early.

We then hit a run of small or messy days from Wednesday the 26th through to the end of August. The swell drops, the winds are tricky, and the energy stays moderate. The one bright spot in this stretch is Friday afternoon, 28th August. It’s glassy, the swell is only 4.3ft but from the WSW at a very long 14 seconds, and the energy is healthy. For a reef and point, that long period will line up nicely. A good little evening session if you’re patient.

The last few days of August and the start of September look pretty grim. We get onshore winds and a big jump in swell height on the 30th and 31st, but with cross-onshore and onshore winds, it’s junk. The 10ft+ stuff in early September has huge energy but brutal winds – really only for the kamikaze crew, and the wave comment says it’s too big anyway.

Finally, we get a whisper of something good again on Tuesday morning, 1st September. Glassy conditions, 4.6ft SW swell. The crowd is ‘sometimes’ an issue at Donkin Bay, but on a Tuesday morning you might have it quiet.

The best of the lot by a long shot? That Sunday the 23rd and Tuesday the 25th mornings. Clean, solid intermediate-to-advanced groundswell with clean offshores. Get in the water.

Read more