Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, SSW swell with 536 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s 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 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m gonna level with ya. It’s a tough stretch ahead for Donuts. I’ve scanned the whole 16-day window and honestly, I can’t find a session that I’d paddle out for. We’re looking at a long, flat, or messy run with nothing that hits the mark. Let’s walk through it.
Right now, Monday afternoon the 7th, we’ve got a 5 ft SSW swell pushing through, but it’s sloppy. That southerly groundswell has a nice 12-second period, so there’s some energy in the water – combined energy is 822 – but it’s all ruined by a cross-onshore breeze at 16 mph from the NW. The water’s sitting at 71°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only highlight. The waves are chopped up and poor.
From Tuesday the 8th all the way through to Sunday the 22nd, it’s the same sad story. The swell drops and stays between 2 ft and 4 ft, mostly from the SW or W. The period swings around – we see some long-period SW groundswells (16 to 19 seconds) on the 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, and 20th, which at a reef setup like Donuts should mean cleaner lines, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore or cross, keeping things choppy and poor. Even on the rare occasions, like Thursday morning the 17th, when the wind is light and directly onshore, the waves are barely 3 ft and still considered poor. The combined energy stays moderate, mostly in the 300s and 400s, peaking around 661 on Monday the 21st, but without clean wind, it’s just a waste.
Donuts is an inconsistent spot anyway – it needs the stars to align – and they just don’t. For a reef that likes a good SW groundswell with clean offshore winds, we’re getting the swell but not the wind. There are a couple of “marginal” tags on Wednesday afternoon the 9th, Monday morning the 14th, and Thursday morning the 17th, but even those are not worth the drive. The 9th has a 2 ft SW groundswell with 16-second period and light winds, but it’s rainy and cross-onshore – too small and messy to get excited about.
So, plain and simple: don’t bother. It’s a blank run for Donuts. Keep an eye on the forecasts – it can’t stay this ugly forever. But for now, leave the board in the car.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 797 | 536 | 212 | 208 | 151 | 214 | 267 | 342 | 437 | 416 | 406 | 395 | 365 | 255 | 248 | 200 | 158 | 161 | 177 | 181 |
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-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 10:21AM1.70m | 10:37PM1.55m | 10:50AM1.70m | 11:19PM1.36m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 4:42PM0.14m | 4:42AM0.24m | 5:24PM0.16m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | 7:06 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 797 | 536 | 212 | 208 | 151 | 68 | 267 | 342 | 437 | 416 | 406 | 395 | 365 | 65 | 94 | 94 | 97 | 161 | 177 | 181 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 3 | 50 | 180 | 118 | 114 | 214 | 46 | 56 | 15 | 17 | 26 | 57 | 74 | 255 | 248 | 200 | 158 | 113 | 109 | 85 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | W 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | W 12 | SW 16 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 2 | 50 | 112 | 111 | 11 | 83 | 99 | 31 | 56 | 54 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 25 | 67 | 127 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 20 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 48 | 48 | 21 | 139 | 1 | 21 | 21 | 309 | 0 |
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.
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