Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Donuts reef break over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this is a lean stretch. The whole 16-day forecast window is a quiet one, so don’t get your hopes up for any kind of epic session.

The water temperature is sitting at 72°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a real standout for the first days, even if the surf isn't. You’ll notice that anomaly is well over three degrees above average.

We start off with nothing worthwhile on Monday the 17th of August. Swell is tiny at 3 ft from the southwest, with a cross-onshore wind from the northwest keeping things choppy. The combined energy is weak at 296. Just not worth paddling out for. Tuesday the 18th through to the end of August stays in the same rut – swell flirting between 1 ft and 3 ft, mostly from the SW and SSW. Winds are often onshore or cross-onshore from the WNW or WSW, and the energy values are all well under 400 – that's weak energy. The surf quality is consistently poor. There's a gap of several days here with no solid recommendation.

Even when we get a slight bump in size around Saturday the 29th and into Sunday the 30th of August, with the swell climbing to 4 ft from the southwest, the energy jumps a little into the moderate range – 839 and 945 respectively – but the wind stays onshore. A long-period groundswell of 18 seconds and 16 seconds will have those waves breaking a bit straight at a reef break, so shape will be tricky. And the commentary still says poor surf conditions, so don't be fooled by the numbers on paper. The crowd situation at Donuts is sometimes an issue, but honestly, with this outlook, you’ll probably have the place to yourself.

On Monday the 31st, the swell drops back to 4 ft, energy down to 601, and same old story with onshore winds again. Into the start of September, it’s more of the same – tiny, messy swell with cross-onshore breezes.

Honestly, if I had to call a standout, there really isn’t one. The best on offer are those few days around the 29th and 30th when the size reaches 4 ft and the long-period groundswell is filling in, but with the wind being onshore and the quality marked as poor, it’s more of a promise that’s likely to fall flat. Beginners won’t be overwhelmed, but it’s not going to be pretty. This is a blank run, and it looks like a normal quiet period for this area. Keep an eye out, forecasts can change, but right now, leave the board in the car.

- Rusty

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