Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SW swell with 951 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 21s 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 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11AM. 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+) | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 21s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the outlook for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long, frustrating gap with no real surf to get excited about. The whole first week and into the next is a write-off. There’s very little that’s going to be worth paddling out for.
We do have a bit of swell showing up, but it’s just not coming together. The wind is almost always on it or cross-onshore, messing up any chance of a clean face. The combined wave energy hovers between moderate and strong (values like 547 to 1014), which sounds promising, but the wind just ruins it. Even the long-period groundswells, with periods over 15 seconds and reaching up to 24 seconds, are getting shredded by the breeze. That kind of long period swell would be a dream on a point or reef, but with the wind as it is, it’s just a messy, bumpy line. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The only break on the cards is Donuts, a sheltered reef that’s pretty inconsistent. The swell is mainly coming from the SSW and SW, right out of its optimum wind direction, which is a shame. The size is generally small, 2 ft to 4 ft, with a few days showing 5 ft to 6 ft. The problem is that whenever there’s a bit of size, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf quality is described as poor or marginal. There’s a day or two in the first week where the wind briefly goes light, but the swell is still weak and messy. It’s frustrating.
Looking ahead to the second week, things just fizzle out. The swell drops right off to 1 ft to 3 ft, and the energy levels drop to weak (values like 155 to 245). The wind stays uncooperative. It’s a dead period.
If you’re a kitesurfer, this might look more interesting than a paddle session, with that consistent onshore wind and some lumpy swell. But for a regular surfer, this is a long blank run. It’s the kind of stretch where you check the forecast, sigh, and find something else to do. It tends not to stay this poor for long, but for now, the ocean is not cooperating.
Later, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 586 | 361 | 317 | 321 | 541 | 271 | 647 | 647 | 513 | 945 | 716 | 609 | 694 | 901 | 511 | 717 | 951 | 897 | 767 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:20AM0.88m | 5:42PM1.51m | 8:22AM0.96m | 6:32PM1.57m | 8:54AM1.02m | 7:15PM1.64m | 9:18AM1.07m | 7:53PM1.70m | 9:41AM1.11m | 8:29PM1.76m | 10:05AM1.15m | 9:01PM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:50AM0.28m | 10:39AM0.81m | 1:41AM0.15m | 11:57AM0.85m | 2:19AM0.05m | 12:56PM0.83m | 2:52AM-0.03m | 1:41PM0.78m | 3:22AM-0.08m | 2:19PM0.72m | 3:51AM-0.12m | 2:55PM0.66m | 4:18AM-0.14m | ||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 586 | 155 | 97 | 121 | 115 | 106 | 647 | 647 | 513 | 945 | 716 | 609 | 694 | 901 | 511 | 717 | 951 | 897 | 767 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 110 | 361 | 317 | 321 | 283 | 196 | 60 | 61 | 45 | 34 | 51 | 66 | 42 | 64 | 60 | 41 | 55 | 55 | 76 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | WSW 18 | SW 26 | SW 26 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 19 | SW 10 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
| kJ | 95 | 31 | 105 | 105 | 541 | 271 | 111 | 50 | 46 | 78 | 60 | 28 | 46 | 23 | 299 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 23 | 0 | 139 | 48 | 0 | 139 | 226 | 0 |
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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