Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with 448 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s 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 (Sep 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM. 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+) | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
We're looking at Donuts, a sheltered reef setup. The water temp is sitting at 72°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The short story is, it's a tough stretch. The forecast is a long run of underwhelming conditions, with a big gap of nothing really worth paddling out for until the second week.
For the first several days, right through to the end of the first week, it's pretty much a write-off. The swell is small and weak, combined energy is mostly in the low to mid hundreds (365 to 516), with a persistent cross or cross-onshore wind that just chops everything up. It's poor to marginal at best, with the wind state not giving us any clean windows. The wind is mostly light to gentle, but it's never the right direction to clean up this spot.
The one slight glimmer comes later on. Around the 19th of September, we start to see the combined energy climb into the 500s and 600s, with a solid, long-period groundswell from the SW coming in at 18 seconds. This is a very long period, and for a reef setup like Donuts, that's a good thing – it'll wrap in and shape up nicely. The wind turns lighter, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, but it's light enough to keep things rideable. The weekend of the 20th and 21st of September has the best chance, with the swell coming in at 3 ft to 3 ft and the combined energy hitting a peak of 638. The wind is light, so while it's not glassy, it's the best we're going to get. This is the standout window, but it's still a marginal call, so don't expect perfection.
Overall, the best bet is to target the 20th of September (Sunday) through the 21st of September (Monday). The 3 ft to 3 ft SW swell with that long period will be the best quality on offer, and with light winds, it's the only time that looks like it could be fun. It's a quiet, inconsistent spot, so even when it's on, it won't be packed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 19°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 214 | 267 | 342 | 443 | 416 | 411 | 395 | 309 | 301 | 248 | 200 | 155 | 134 | 115 | 185 | 153 | 150 | 147 | 161 | 149 | 121 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 11:17AM1.66m | 00:05AM1.17m | 11:44AM1.58m | 1:04AM0.99m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:05AM0.41m | 6:08PM0.22m | 5:25AM0.57m | 7:00PM0.30m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 29 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 16 | W 9 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 68 | 267 | 342 | 443 | 416 | 411 | 395 | 309 | 301 | 35 | 44 | 52 | 134 | 115 | 185 | 153 | 108 | 32 | 161 | 39 | 121 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | W 6 | SW 16 | W 8 |
| kJ | 214 | 45 | 56 | 17 | 19 | 26 | 41 | 57 | 47 | 248 | 200 | 155 | 113 | 109 | 61 | 150 | 150 | 147 | 26 | 121 | 34 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | W 13 | SSW 9 | WSW 14 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 16 | WSW 19 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 20 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 83 | 85 | 30 | 56 | 54 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 41 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 67 | 142 | 60 | 54 | 53 | 37 | 149 | 82 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 48 | 1 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 48 | 226 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 21 | 139 | 166 | 1 | 166 | 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.
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