Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty flat run for the most part. We’ve got a few days where the ocean’s barely got a pulse, and the wind’s often not helping. The first real chance to get wet is Tuesday the 25th of August, but even then it’s only just nudging into the “maybe” zone.

Let’s start with Donuts. This is a tricky reef break, and it’s inconsistent, so it doesn’t come alive often. The water temperature is sitting at 69°F, which is just about normal for this time of year, nothing wild.

The early part of the week is a write-off. Friday the 21st through to Monday the 24th, we’re looking at tiny swell around 1ft to 2ft, mostly from the SW, with light onshore and cross-onshore winds. The wind’s light, but the surf is just too small and weak, with combined energy values in the 200s. It’s poor.

Tuesday morning the 25th sees a bump in swell to 3ft, but the real shift happens on Tuesday afternoon. We get a 4ft SSW swell, with a 13-second period and light offshore wind from the W. The energy jumps to 731 – moderate. The conditions are marked as marginal, but with glassy offshore winds, that’s a clean window. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve seen so far.

Wednesday the 26th morning brings the biggest swell of the run: 5ft from the SSW, 13 seconds, but the wind turns cross-shore from the S at 9 mph. The energy is solid at 1045, which is strong. It’s a bit junky with the cross-chop, but big enough to get a few. The afternoon gets choppier as the wind picks up to 12 mph, so morning is the pick.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th hold onto 3ft to 4ft SSW swell, with periods between 11 and 12 seconds. The winds are cross-shore or cross-onshore, light to gentle. The energy drops back into the 500-600 range, and the conditions are marginal. It’s not terrible, but it’s not firing.

The weekend of the 29th and 30th of August, the swell drops back to 3ft to 4ft, with a slightly longer period of 15-17 seconds. That longer period gives the waves more shape, but the wind is mostly cross-onshore, so it’s a bit bumpy. The energy is in the 500-600 range again – moderate.

From the 31st of August right through to the 5th of September, it’s a long stretch of poor surf. The swell sits between 2ft and 4ft, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore, and the energy is all over the place from 234 to 743. The conditions are consistently described as poor or marginal. There’s a gap of about 5 to 6 days here where there’s no real recommendation.

The standout moment, if you can call it that, is Tuesday afternoon the 25th of August. The 4ft SSW swell, with a 13-second period, and light offshore wind from the W, gives you the cleanest waves of the period. The energy is moderate at 731. It’s not a big day, but it’s the only time the wind truly lines up. It’s the best bet for a few clean, lined-up waves.

For the rest of the run, it’s a case of picking the lesser evils. The biggest wave day, Wednesday the 26th morning, is worth a look if you’re desperate, but the cross-shore wind will make it a bit bumpy. The long-period swells (15-19 seconds) around the 30th of August will have more push, but the cross-onshore wind will spoil the surface.

That’s the story. Not a classic run, but there’s a couple of windows to get wet.

Rusty.

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