Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 291 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Donuts are looking pretty grim. We're talking about a long stretch of flat, weak conditions that's not really gonna get the blood pumping. The first real surf recommendation doesn't show up until the 18th of August, and even then, it's a struggle.
Donuts (a sheltered reef break) is usually an inconsistent spot, and this run is a perfect example of why. From Tuesday the 18th right through to the end of the month, the energy is just pathetic. The combined swell energy is flickering between 202 and 384 (weak to moderate at best), all from the southwest, but it's not translating into anything rideable. The wave comment is stuck on "poor surf conditions" for days on end, and the scores are flat zeroes. The wind is mostly light, but it's cross-on or onshore, adding a bit of chop to an already sad looking setup.
We finally get a tiny flicker of hope on the 28th of August (Friday morning) with a "marginal" forecast. The swell is still tiny at 2ft, but the energy bumps up to 409 (moderate) and the wind is light and onshore. It's a 1/10, which is better than a zero, but that's not saying much.
Then, on the 29th of August (Saturday morning), things get a little more interesting. The swell picks up to 3ft from the southwest, the period is a solid 17 seconds (that's a nice long groundswell), and the combined energy jumps to 664 (moderate). The wind is a light, cross-onshore breeze. It's still a "marginal" call with a score of 1/10, but it's the best we've got in the whole forecast. For a reef break like Donuts, that long period from the southwest could offer up some clean, lined-up waves, even if they're on the smaller side. But don't expect a crowd, because it's an inconsistent spot and the quality is just okay.
The rest of the window into the first days of September follows the same pattern: small swell, poor conditions, and low energy. It's a near-blank run, which is more normal for this area. It's a tough one. If you're desperate, the 29th is your best bet, but keep your expectations low. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's a whole lot of nothing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 211 | 144 | 258 | 291 | 291 | 217 | 211 | 211 | 153 | 142 | 114 | 113 | 109 | 142 | 188 | 173 | 152 | 233 | 252 | 137 | 222 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:34PM1.45m | 2:52AM0.87m | 2:28PM1.40m | 3:47PM1.37m | 8:22AM0.98m | 5:11PM1.40m | 8:19AM1.05m | 6:13PM1.49m | 8:30AM1.11m | 7:00PM1.59m | 8:44AM1.17m | 7:37PM1.68m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 8:59PM0.46m | 7:04AM0.73m | 10:52PM0.43m | 00:25AM0.32m | 10:00AM0.97m | 1:17AM0.21m | 12:03PM0.93m | 1:54AM0.11m | 12:58PM0.84m | 2:24AM0.03m | 1:36PM0.73m | 2:50AM-0.02m | |||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 |
Feels °C | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 51 | 54 | 56 | 77 | 62 | 217 | 211 | 211 | 153 | 142 | 114 | 113 | 21 | 142 | 188 | 114 | 116 | 233 | 36 | 36 | 86 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SW 12 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 211 | 144 | 258 | 291 | 291 | 38 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 51 | 68 | 48 | 49 | 152 | 155 | 252 | 131 | 222 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 20 | S 8 | W 14 | SW 19 | W 13 | WNW 12 | SW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 11 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | WNW 6 | W 6 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 83 | 135 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 57 | 13 | 27 | 82 | 73 | 23 | 109 | 56 | 94 | 173 | 12 | 15 | 120 | 137 | 101 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 165 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Donuts surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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