Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Donuts.

Right from the get-go, I’ll be straight with you: this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a solid block of time coming up where the surf just isn’t doing us any favours. The first half of the outlook is pretty much a write-off, with poor conditions and marginal energy that just won’t line up. It’s looking like a real dry spell.

For the first ten days or so, from Sunday the 13th right through to around Tuesday the 23rd of September, we’re looking at a lot of small, messy waves. The swell stays mostly in the 2 ft to 4 ft range, but the wind is a constant problem—mostly cross-onshore from the SW or WNW at 6 to 12 mph, and the water is getting chopped up. The combined swell energy is moderate at best, bouncing between 177 and 603 (moderate wave energy), but the quality is just not there. The wind is ruining it. Even when it’s clean from the west, the wave comment is either “poor surf conditions” or “marginal”. There’s nothing worth paddling out for here.

You’ll see a gap of about two weeks of nothing good here at Donuts. It’s one of those periods where you’re better off doing something else.

Now, towards the tail end, things start to show a tiny flicker of life. On Monday the 28th of September, we finally get a bit of a window. The morning shows some glassy conditions—wind is almost dead from the west at just 5 km/h (3 mph, slight air). The swell is still small at 2 ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 15 seconds (groundswell), and the combined energy is 269 (moderate). This is the only day that gets a description of “surfable waves.” It’s not going to be pumping, but for a dedicated surfer, that glassy surface and that long-period energy might give you a few clean, lined-up runners, especially if you’re after that slow, walled-up reef wave. The water temperature is a very unusual 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for the time of year—so you won’t need a thick suit, but don’t expect any power.

Even then, the afternoon turns messy again. So really, the only standout, the only time to even consider a paddle, is that Monday morning. It’s not world class, but it’s the one real opportunity in a long, flat, windy run.

Stay patient, folks. It’ll turn around.

- Rusty

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