Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, SW swell with 395 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s 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 16) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 11AM. 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+) | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, let’s talk Donuts.
Honestly, for the first week and a half, it’s a bit of a struggle. The swell is tiny, there’s a steady cross-onshore breeze messing with the surface, and the report keeps saying "poor surf conditions." You’d be fighting a chop for next to nothing. There’s no standout session in the near future. The water is sitting at roughly 73°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – about 5°F above the norm, so you’re in a spring suit at most.
You’re waiting until Sunday, September 20th for the best chance. That morning we get a light offshore breeze from the west, and a clean 3ft swell from the southwest with a long 18-second period. That’s real groundswell, and the combined energy hits 593 (moderate wave energy), which is the best we see over the whole 16 days. The report says it’s “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” but for a reef like Donuts that lines up with the southwest, a long-period groundswell with light offshores is the recipe. That’s your one shot. Monday the 21st in the morning is also okay – 3ft from the southwest with a light cross-shore breeze.
After that, by Tuesday the 22nd, it’s back to the same old story: cross-onshore wind and fading, small swell.
So, if I were you, I’d pencil in the morning of Sunday the 20th. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but that’s the only time the stars line up for a proper session at Donuts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 395 | 365 | 301 | 248 | 200 | 123 | 113 | 138 | 207 | 257 | 173 | 147 | 161 | 149 | 121 | 354 | 254 | 302 | 276 | 255 | 214 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 12:13PM1.48m | 2:51AM0.87m | 12:52PM1.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:37AM0.72m | 8:09PM0.38m | 5:21AM0.84m | 9:53PM0.41m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 395 | 365 | 301 | 248 | 36 | 46 | 109 | 138 | 207 | 257 | 173 | 82 | 97 | 79 | 51 | 354 | 254 | 302 | 276 | 255 | 214 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 |
| kJ | 39 | 36 | 24 | 36 | 200 | 123 | 113 | 109 | 61 | 150 | 150 | 147 | 161 | 121 | 121 | 28 | 22 | 54 | 46 | 46 | 57 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | S 9 | SSW 12 | W 6 | WNW 5 | SW 21 | SW 21 |
| kJ | 19 | 18 | 17 | 28 | 27 | 13 | 12 | 67 | 127 | 60 | 55 | 23 | 23 | 149 | 82 | 15 | 49 | 10 | 8 | 117 | 153 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 4 | W 5 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 17 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 139 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 21 | 139 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
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.
Nearest