Surf Forecasts:
Donuts surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,093 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m 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 1.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2PM. 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+) | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Donuts over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for Donuts. We're looking at a pretty quiet run over the next 16 days, and honestly, there's not a lot to get excited about. The whole period is plagued by poor surf conditions, with only a couple of days offering a glimmer of something that might be worth a look.
The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is spot on for the time of year, nothing unusual there.
The first real chance for anything half-decent doesn't roll around until Tuesday, the 25th of August. Even then, it's just a marginal call. The morning will see a SW swell of 2ft with a 16-second period, but the combined energy is only moderate (430). The wind is light and offshore from the WNW, which is what you want, but the forecast is calling it a "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." The afternoon picks up a little better with a 3ft SSW swell, but the period drops to 13 seconds, and the energy is still moderate (481). It's a light offshore breeze from the West, so it might be clean enough for a paddle if you're desperate, but don't expect much.
Things get a bit more interesting, but not better, around Wednesday the 26th of August. The swell bumps up to 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon from the SSW, with a 13-second period and strong energy (919 and 904). However, the wind is cross-onshore, creating a light chop. It's a no-go. The energy is there, but the quality is shot.
Thursday the 27th of August is the same story. A 4ft SW swell (15-second period, strong energy at 951) but with a moderate cross-shore breeze making it choppy. The afternoon offers a 5ft SSW swell (14-second period, 945 energy) with a light cross-onshore breeze. It's still considered poor, but one afternoon slot is marked as 'marginal'. It's a last resort kind of day.
Through the rest of the first week and into the second, it's just a rinse and repeat of poor surf with light onshore or cross-shore winds. The swell heights bob around from 2ft to 5ft, none of it clean enough to be worthwhile. Friday the 4th of September shows a bump in the morning with a 5ft WNW swell and a 10-second period (strong energy at 712), but the wind is cross-onshore from the SSW. The afternoon has a 4ft swell from the West with a 10-second period (645 energy) and a cross-shore breeze. It's another marginal call at best, but still not good.
So, to be honest, there's no standout session here. The entire 16-day window is a write-off for quality surf. The best you can hope for is a clean, small wave on the 25th of August, but even that's a gamble. If you're a kiter, this setup might be more interesting than it is for a surfer, with that consistent cross-shore wind and moderate swell energy. Otherwise, keep the board in the car and wait for a better forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat morning, min 20°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 22°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
211 | 211 | 153 | 142 | 116 | 84 | 109 | 217 | 220 | 173 | 154 | 233 | 252 | 137 | 222 | 216 | 236 | 437 | 424 | 805 | 886 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 3:47PM1.37m | 8:22AM0.98m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 00:25AM0.32m | 10:00AM0.97m | 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 | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 7 | SW 15 | W 6 | WNW 7 | W 6 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | SSW 13 | W 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 |
211 | 211 | 153 | 142 | 116 | 84 | 48 | 217 | 36 | 62 | 40 | 233 | 38 | 95 | 58 | 73 | 236 | 134 | 424 | 805 | 886 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 12 | WNW 6 | SW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | SSW 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
38 | 29 | 20 | 29 | 20 | 18 | 51 | 44 | 220 | 114 | 154 | 32 | 252 | 137 | 222 | 216 | 171 | 437 | 79 | 62 | 77 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | W 13 | WNW 12 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | WSW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 14 | W 13 |
57 | 13 | 27 | 82 | 73 | 50 | 109 | 35 | 58 | 173 | 154 | 155 | 120 | 42 | 118 | 141 | 6 | 203 | 416 | 37 | 31 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 218 | 21 |
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.











