Donuts Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.67° N 117.25° W

Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Donuts sea temperature is
20.7° C
0.6° 

Donuts surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Donuts surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with 1,492 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 1.8m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Fri 21st Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 13s
Best Surf 8PM (Wed 26th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 13s
Most Powerful11AM (Wed 26th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for Donuts is a tough one. There’s a big gap of nothing at the start, and even when swell shows up, the conditions are often messy. But there’s a glimmer of hope right at the very end if you’re patient.

We kick off with a long, flat spell. From Friday the 21st of August right through to the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August, it’s all poor surf with tiny, weak swell. The waves are below 2ft, the combined energy is weak (under 370), and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on. Honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Things start to look a little more interesting on Wednesday the 26th of August. A pulse of SSW swell pushes through, with heights around 6ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon. The combined energy jumps to 1600 and 1144 (moderate energy), and the swell period is 15 seconds – a proper groundswell. But here’s the rub: the wind is a moderate cross-shore 12 mph in the morning, making it choppy, and light cross-onshore in the afternoon. The surf is still marginal. For a reef break like Donuts, that long period (15s) can mean a bit of a wait between sets, but the shape might be okay. Still, I’d call it a maybe for intermediate surfers, not a standout.

Thursday the 27th of August drops back down to 4ft with a 11-second period, and the wind is cross-shore. It’s marginal again. Then we hit another dry spell from Friday the 28th of August through to Monday the 31st of August, with tiny swell and poor conditions. Not much to get excited about.

The first few days of September are pretty flat too, with small, weak swell and cross-on winds. Then, on Thursday the 3rd of September, we get a little moment. The afternoon session shows a 3ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, with glassy conditions – that’s a rare treat. The combined energy is 592 (moderate), and the water temperature is about 69°F, which is normal for this time of year. This is the closest thing to a standout in the whole outlook. The surf should be clean and fun, but it’s small, so don’t expect barrels.

The final real highlight comes on Friday the 4th of September. The afternoon sees a 5ft S swell at 15 seconds, with a light cross-shore breeze and combined energy of 1582 (moderate). The next day, Saturday the 5th of September, brings the biggest swell of the window: 7ft in the morning, 7ft in the afternoon, from the SSW at 14 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1771 and 1571. But, the wind is onshore in both sessions, which means it’ll be lumpy and messy. For a reef break, that’s a disappointment. This swell is only for experienced surfers, and even then, the conditions aren’t doing it any favours.

Best bet of the whole fortnight? Thursday the 3rd of September afternoon at Donuts. That glassy, clean 3ft S swell is your window for a quiet, fun session. The Friday and Saturday after that have more size, but the wind ruins it. Keep the board waxed for that Thursday arvo.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun morning, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 21°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SSW
13
0.5
SW
13
0.4
SW
18
0.7
SW
15
0.7
SW
15
0.5
SW
19
0.7
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
WSW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SSW
17
1.8
SSW
15
1.7
SSW
14
1.4
SSW
12
1.1
SSW
11
1
SSW
10
0.5
SW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
116
84
109
217
220
171
154
233
209
135
222
216
208
293
1492
1059
522
308
236
150
Wind (km/h)
10
W
10
WNW
10
W
10
WNW
10
NW
15
WNW
15
NW
10
NW
15
W
10
WSW
10
NW
10
WNW
10
W
5
SW
20
S
10
SSW
15
SSE
15
SSW
10
SSW
5
S
Wind State
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
glassy
High Tide
5:11PM1.40m
8:19AM1.05m
6:13PM1.49m
8:30AM1.11m
7:00PM1.59m
8:44AM1.17m
7:37PM1.68m
9:02AM1.23m
8:11PM1.75m
9:22AM1.30m
8:43PM1.78m
9:44AM1.37m
9:15PM1.77m
Low Tide
1:17AM0.21m
12:03PM0.93m
1:54AM0.11m
12:58PM0.84m
2:24AM0.03m
1:36PM0.73m
2:50AM-0.02m
2:10PM0.63m
3:15AM-0.06m
2:44PM0.54m
3:40AM-0.06m
3:18PM0.45m
4:04AM-0.04m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:27
7:25
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:21
7:20
 mm
Temp °C
22
21
23
23
23
24
24
23
24
23
23
24
24
24
22
23
22
23
23
23
Feels °C
23
23
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
23
25
26
24
25
21
24
24
23
23
24
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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