Donuts Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.67° N 117.25° W

Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Donuts sea temperature is
21.7° C
2.2° 

Donuts surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Donuts surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with 880 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Donuts this week:

The surf forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 1.0m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sun 19th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Best Surf 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 21s
Most Powerful 5AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s look at what we’ve got for Donuts over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long, dry run of poor conditions, and it’s going to take a while before anything even gets close to being rideable.

The first solid week is basically a write-off. From Saturday the 18th right through to the morning of Sunday the 26th, every session is flagged as poor. The swell is hanging in there – mostly around 3ft to 4ft from the southwest – but the problem is the wind. It’s almost constantly onshore or cross-onshore from the west or northwest. That kills any chance of a clean wave at a sheltered reef like this. Even though the wind is light, the direction is just wrong. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 71°F with a 4°F anomaly, but that’s small comfort when you’re staring at chopped-out junk. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong, hitting the 400 to 900 range, but without clean conditions, that energy is wasted. You’d be better off on a kite than a paddle board right now.

Now, there is a small window that shows a tiny bit of life. On Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th, we finally see the scores bump up to a 1 or a 2, with "marginal" comments. The swell hangs around 3ft to 4ft from the SW, and the wind goes mostly light and offshore from the WNW to SW. That offshore wind is the key. The combined energy jumps up, hitting 1074 and then 1273 – solid moderate to strong energy. But this is an inconsistent reef, so even when it’s on, you might wait a while between sets. Still, these two days are the best on offer for the whole forecast.

The last couple of days of July, the 30th and 31st, also show some marginal hope. The swell gets a bit bigger, up to 4ft to 6ft from the SSW, with light offshore winds. That 6ft on Friday the 31st afternoon is starting to push past the beginner-friendly zone, but for an intermediate crew with a long-period swell (14-15 seconds), it could offer some proper shape, especially as this is a reef break. But remember, it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect a circus.

Come the 1st and 2nd of August, the energy drops right off. We’re down to 2ft to 5ft and the cross-onshore wind comes back, with a shorter period (11-13 seconds). The combined energy tanks to 144-765, weak to moderate, and the conditions are just poor again.

So the real takeaway? The standout, such as it is, will be Tuesday the 28th of July into the afternoon. You get 4ft of SW groundswell with 17-second periods and light offshore wind. That’s the one to try and line up. The rest of this outlook is a waiting game.

Keep your eyes on the horizon. Forecasts change.

– Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.4
SW
16
0.8
SW
17
0.9
SW
17
1.3
SSW
11
0.8
SW
15
0.8
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
1
SW
16
1.1
SW
15
1
SW
15
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
1
SSW
13
1.2
SSW
13
0.7
SW
24
0.5
SW
24
0.8
SW
21
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
366
249
91
346
487
459
330
352
314
462
499
435
346
346
293
264
336
447
541
271
647
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
10
W
5
WSW
10
W
15
W
5
WNW
10
WNW
15
WNW
10
WNW
15
W
15
WNW
10
W
10
WSW
15
NW
10
WNW
15
W
15
WNW
10
WNW
10
WSW
15
W
10
WSW
Wind State
cross-on
on
glassy
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
High Tide
1:18PM1.41m
00:50AM1.39m
2:04PM1.43m
1:51AM1.14m
2:54PM1.44m
3:15AM0.93m
3:48PM1.45m
5:17AM0.84m
4:46PM1.47m
7:20AM0.88m
5:42PM1.51m
8:22AM0.96m
6:32PM1.57m
Low Tide
7:10PM0.53m
7:28AM0.16m
8:22PM0.55m
8:03AM0.37m
9:52PM0.52m
8:40AM0.55m
11:33PM0.42m
9:27AM0.71m
00:50AM0.28m
10:39AM0.81m
1:41AM0.15m
11:57AM0.85m
2:19AM0.05m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
5:56
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:55
7:55
7:54
7:53
7:53
7:52
7:52
 mm
Temp °C
20
20
20
21
20
20
21
22
22
22
22
22
21
22
22
21
22
21
20
20
20
Feels °C
21
20
21
22
20
20
21
21
23
23
21
22
22
22
22
22
22
21
21
20
20
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Donuts Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Donuts provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Donuts can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Donuts 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 (Donuts) 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 Donuts 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.

Donuts is 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Coronado. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Coronado. Coronado has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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