
Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SW swell with 742 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 2AM. 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+) | 2AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 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 what’s on offer.
Honestly, it’s a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for decent surf. There’s a persistent onshore or cross-onshore wind pattern that’s just wrecking the shape, and the swell is tiny and weak. We’re looking at a long, flat spell with no real standouts. The only break on the cards is Donuts, a sheltered reef, but even that’s not doing us any favours.
Let’s start with Tuesday, the 11th of August. We’ve got a tiny 2ft South-West swell with a long period of 14 seconds, but it’s all blown out by a 9 mph onshore wind. The water is a very unusual 75°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that doesn’t help the surf. The combined energy is weak at 290. The forecast calls it poor surf conditions, and it’s a perfect score of 0 out of 10. Not a single surfable moment in the whole 16 days.
Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 14th – it’s the same story. Swell bumps up to 3ft, but the period stays long, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore. The energy picks up a bit, hitting 440 (moderate) on Thursday afternoon, but the quality is still garbage. Saturday the 15th sees the biggest swell at 4ft, and energy jumps to 595 (moderate), but again, it’s cross-on and choppy. This continues right through to Wednesday the 26th of August, with the swell dropping to 1ft on the 22nd and the energy falling to 172 (weak). The waves are just too small, the wind is bad, and the break is inconsistent. It’s a classic case of a sheltered spot that needs a different swell direction to really work, and the wind is never on our side.
Donuts is a spot that “rarely breaks” anyway, and with this forecast, it’s not breaking properly at all. If you’ve got a kite, this might be more interesting than a paddle board, because the onshore wind and small, weak swell is a total bust for surfing. It’s a rough run, but in this area, a blank spell like this isn’t out of the ordinary. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, I’d find something else to do.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 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 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
164 | 197 | 249 | 179 | 310 | 251 | 245 | 344 | 273 | 263 | 255 | 742 | 432 | 560 | 619 | 438 | 404 | 404 | 346 | 248 | 238 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:27AM1.31m | 8:43PM2.07m | 10:01AM1.40m | 9:28PM2.03m | 10:34AM1.47m | 10:12PM1.92m | 11:08AM1.53m | 10:54PM1.74m | 11:43AM1.55m | 11:37PM1.52m | 12:17PM1.55m | 00:24AM1.28m | 12:53PM1.51m | 1:21AM1.05m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:39PM0.50m | 3:53AM-0.35m | 3:26PM0.40m | 4:28AM-0.29m | 4:13PM0.34m | 5:01AM-0.17m | 4:59PM0.32m | 5:32AM-0.01m | 5:47PM0.33m | 6:00AM0.17m | 6:39PM0.37m | 6:26AM0.37m | 7:39PM0.43m | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 6 |
164 | 197 | 249 | 179 | 310 | 251 | 245 | 344 | 273 | 206 | 206 | 742 | 432 | 560 | 619 | 438 | 404 | 404 | 346 | 248 | 40 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 4 | SW 13 | S 11 | W 5 | W 5 | S 10 | W 5 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 |
118 | 120 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 40 | 134 | 263 | 255 | 5 | 109 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 56 | 58 | 238 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 12 | W 9 | SW 12 | SSW 21 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 12 | WNW 5 | W 11 | S 11 | S 10 | W 11 | WSW 13 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 10 |
3 | 57 | 45 | 44 | 12 | 6 | 39 | 44 | 18 | 16 | 28 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 43 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WNW 12 | — | — | W 10 | — | — | W 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | — | W 5 | W 5 | — |
5 | 48 | — | — | 17 | — | — | 12 | — | — | 10 | — | — | 12 | — | — | 14 | — | 14 | 19 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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.











