Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch for anyone hoping to get a wave. The whole 16-day window is filled with marginal conditions, and I’m not seeing a single proper standout session to get excited about.

The main issue is the wind. For a spot like Donuts, which is a sheltered reef that really needs its optimum westerly swell, the wind is constantly blasting from the wrong angles, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surf bumpy and messy. The swell is coming in from the SW, which isn't the magic direction for this break, and the wave heights stay small, barely cracking 5 ft at best. The combined wave energy does push up into moderate territory, reaching as high as 1021 (moderate to strong energy) around the 4th of September, but it’s all wasted because the wind and direction just don't line up. Because the wave period is long, between 12 and 17 seconds, there are some long gaps between sets. This is a classic groundswell, which would be great for a point or reef if the wind was right. Here, it just means you'll be waiting a while for a bumpy, weak wave.

Looking at the water, when the surf is small around August 28th, the water temp is sitting at 74°F with a 6°F anomaly. That’s *much warmer* than normal for this time of year – feels more like summer than late August.

Let’s run through it day by day, but brace yourself for a lot of ‘poor surf conditions’ reports.

August 28 & 29 (Friday & Saturday): It kicks off with tiny 2 ft to 4 ft SW swell, but the wind is coming straight from the W and WNW – onshore and cross-onshore. The wave energy builds from 325 up to 743 (moderate), but the surface is choppy. Not worth paddling out.

August 30 & 31 (Sunday & Monday): Swell hangs around 3 ft to 3 ft, still from the SW. Wind stays from the WNW, either onshore or cross-onshore. Energy dips a little, sitting around 504 to 600 (moderate). Still poor.

September 1 (Tuesday): A bit more wind push with gusts up to 12 mph, keeping the ocean choppy. Swell is 3 ft from the SSW, energy at 361 (moderate). No change.

September 2 & 3 (Wednesday & Thursday): Swell starts to tick up a little, hitting 4 ft to 5 ft from the SSW and SW. The wave energy gets more interesting, reaching 834 (moderate) on Thursday afternoon. But that NW and WNW wind is still cross-onshore, ruining any potential. The wave period is around 12 to 15 seconds, so those long waits for a set are back.

September 4 (Friday): This is the peak of the swell energy for the whole forecast, hitting 1021 (strong) in the afternoon with a 4 ft SW swell. The period stretches to 16 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell. However, the wind is a steady 9 mph from the WNW, which remains cross-onshore. The session reports are still saying ‘poor surf conditions.’ This is the closest we get to something, but the wind kills it for Donuts.

September 5 & 6 (Saturday & Sunday): The swell drops back to 3 ft to 4 ft, wind stays cross-onshore from the WNW and NW. Energy levels decrease from 818 to 476 (moderate). Same story.

September 7 to 12 (Monday to Saturday): A long, drawn-out tail. Swell is tiny, between 2 ft and 4 ft. The wind is relentless, mostly cross-onshore from the WNW or NW, with some rare onshore moments. Wave energy is weak to moderate, from 260 up to 612. The long periods (14 to 17 seconds) mean the little swell that exists will be very inconsistent.

The Verdict: There are no good surf options in this 16-day window. Every single session is scored at zero. Donuts is a fickle, inconsistent reef at the best of times, and with this persistent onshore/cross-onshore wind and the swell from the wrong direction, it’s just flat or blown out. Don’t bother suiting up for this. As always, forecasts can change, but this run looks locked in. If you’re desperate for something, the conditions might be more interesting for a kite surfer looking for a bumpy ride than for a paddle surfer.

Rusty.

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