
Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,247 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s 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 (Sep 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Donuts over the next 16 days.
To be perfectly honest with you, the outlook is a bit of a bummer. We’ve got a solid 16-day window to look at, but the forecast is painting a picture of mostly cross-onshore winds and poor surf conditions for the majority of it. The water temperature is running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 71°F.
The first week is pretty much a write-off. From Saturday the 5th right through to Tuesday the 8th, we’re looking at a persistent cross-onshore breeze from the northwest, with swell heights bumping up from 3ft to 6ft. The combined swell energy is moderate, ranging from 920 to 1081, but the wind is just chopping it all up. The wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions,” and honestly, with that wind, it’s going to be a messy, bumpy ocean. Not worth paddling out for.
There’s a glimmer of hope on Wednesday morning, September 9th. The wind goes glassy, and the swell settles at 4ft from the southwest with a decent 10-second period. The combined energy is still moderate at 574, and the forecast finally says “expect good surf conditions.” This is your best chance in the first week, but it’s a narrow window. By the afternoon, the wind turns light cross-onshore, and the swell drops to 2ft, making it only marginal.
After that brief tease, we slide back into a long stretch of poor conditions. From Thursday the 10th through to the end of the forecast window on Sunday the 20th, the swell gets small, dropping to 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy stays weak to moderate, mostly under 500. A few afternoons around the 18th and 19th of September get a “marginal” tag, but with the swell that small and the wind off, it’s not going to be worth the effort.
The standouts: There’s only one true highlight here, and it’s that Wednesday morning, September 9th. At Donuts (a sheltered reef break that’s inconsistent, so this is a rare treat), the glassy conditions and 4ft southwest swell should deliver clean, workable waves. It’s the only time in the whole outlook where the stars align. The rest of the window is a long stretch of onshore slop and tiny swell. Get out there on that Wednesday if you can, because the forecast doesn’t give us much else to smile about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 21°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 21°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
483 | 600 | 947 | 950 | 995 | 1223 | 1028 | 885 | 691 | 749 | 521 | 389 | 255 | 267 | 280 | 443 | 416 | 411 | 395 | 305 | 309 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 4:48PM1.62m | 7:30AM1.14m | 6:02PM1.74m | 7:57AM1.26m | 7:00PM1.85m | 8:25AM1.38m | 7:49PM1.91m | 8:53AM1.49m | 8:34PM1.91m | 9:23AM1.59m | 9:16PM1.83m | 9:52AM1.66m | 9:56PM1.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:16AM0.94m | 00:47AM-0.01m | 12:00PM0.84m | 1:34AM-0.13m | 1:03PM0.67m | 2:13AM-0.19m | 1:52PM0.49m | 2:48AM-0.20m | 2:37PM0.34m | 3:20AM-0.15m | 3:19PM0.23m | 3:49AM-0.05m | 4:01PM0.16m | 4:17AM0.08m | |||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 6 |
372 | 600 | 947 | 950 | 995 | 1223 | 1028 | 885 | 691 | 749 | 521 | 389 | 255 | 245 | 217 | 443 | 416 | 411 | 89 | 107 | 74 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 10 | S 9 | SW 11 | W 12 | WSW 20 | SW 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
483 | 416 | 28 | 41 | 31 | 3 | 37 | 3 | 50 | 80 | 81 | 11 | 214 | 267 | 280 | 114 | 204 | 88 | 395 | 305 | 309 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | WSW 11 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 12 | NW 12 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 7 | SW 21 | W 10 | SW 16 | SW 20 | WNW 5 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 |
65 | 66 | 8 | — | 14 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 129 | 97 | 4 | 29 | 56 | 49 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 12 | WNW 3 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 3 | — | WNW 5 | — | W 4 | — | WNW 3 | WNW 4 | — | W 7 | — |
— | 35 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 14 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 6 | — | 8 | — | 1 | — | 4 | 10 | — | 124 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










