Donuts Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.67° N 117.25° W

Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Donuts sea temperature is
23.3°C
3.1° 

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


Donuts surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SW swell with 763 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s 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 28) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 17s 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 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Fri 28th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s
Best Surf11PM (Fri 28th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch for anyone hoping to get a wave. The whole 16-day window is filled with marginal conditions, and I’m not seeing a single proper standout session to get excited about.

The main issue is the wind. For a spot like Donuts, which is a sheltered reef that really needs its optimum westerly swell, the wind is constantly blasting from the wrong angles, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surf bumpy and messy. The swell is coming in from the SW, which isn't the magic direction for this break, and the wave heights stay small, barely cracking 5 ft at best. The combined wave energy does push up into moderate territory, reaching as high as 1021 (moderate to strong energy) around the 4th of September, but it’s all wasted because the wind and direction just don't line up. Because the wave period is long, between 12 and 17 seconds, there are some long gaps between sets. This is a classic groundswell, which would be great for a point or reef if the wind was right. Here, it just means you'll be waiting a while for a bumpy, weak wave.

Looking at the water, when the surf is small around August 28th, the water temp is sitting at 74°F with a 6°F anomaly. That’s *much warmer* than normal for this time of year – feels more like summer than late August.

Let’s run through it day by day, but brace yourself for a lot of ‘poor surf conditions’ reports.

August 28 & 29 (Friday & Saturday): It kicks off with tiny 2 ft to 4 ft SW swell, but the wind is coming straight from the W and WNW – onshore and cross-onshore. The wave energy builds from 325 up to 743 (moderate), but the surface is choppy. Not worth paddling out.

August 30 & 31 (Sunday & Monday): Swell hangs around 3 ft to 3 ft, still from the SW. Wind stays from the WNW, either onshore or cross-onshore. Energy dips a little, sitting around 504 to 600 (moderate). Still poor.

September 1 (Tuesday): A bit more wind push with gusts up to 12 mph, keeping the ocean choppy. Swell is 3 ft from the SSW, energy at 361 (moderate). No change.

September 2 & 3 (Wednesday & Thursday): Swell starts to tick up a little, hitting 4 ft to 5 ft from the SSW and SW. The wave energy gets more interesting, reaching 834 (moderate) on Thursday afternoon. But that NW and WNW wind is still cross-onshore, ruining any potential. The wave period is around 12 to 15 seconds, so those long waits for a set are back.

September 4 (Friday): This is the peak of the swell energy for the whole forecast, hitting 1021 (strong) in the afternoon with a 4 ft SW swell. The period stretches to 16 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell. However, the wind is a steady 9 mph from the WNW, which remains cross-onshore. The session reports are still saying ‘poor surf conditions.’ This is the closest we get to something, but the wind kills it for Donuts.

September 5 & 6 (Saturday & Sunday): The swell drops back to 3 ft to 4 ft, wind stays cross-onshore from the WNW and NW. Energy levels decrease from 818 to 476 (moderate). Same story.

September 7 to 12 (Monday to Saturday): A long, drawn-out tail. Swell is tiny, between 2 ft and 4 ft. The wind is relentless, mostly cross-onshore from the WNW or NW, with some rare onshore moments. Wave energy is weak to moderate, from 260 up to 612. The long periods (14 to 17 seconds) mean the little swell that exists will be very inconsistent.

The Verdict: There are no good surf options in this 16-day window. Every single session is scored at zero. Donuts is a fickle, inconsistent reef at the best of times, and with this persistent onshore/cross-onshore wind and the swell from the wrong direction, it’s just flat or blown out. Don’t bother suiting up for this. As always, forecasts can change, but this run looks locked in. If you’re desperate for something, the conditions might be more interesting for a kite surfer looking for a bumpy ride than for a paddle surfer.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed morning, min 22°C on Mon afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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
SW
16
1.1
SW
17
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
16
1
SW
15
1
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.8
SW
13
0.6
SW
13
0.6
SW
13
0.9
SSW
13
1.1
SSW
12
1.2
SSW
12
1.1
SSW
12
1.4
SSW
13
1.4
SW
12
1.1
SW
15
1.2
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
165
763
581
653
612
424
407
297
284
202
142
113
289
344
440
365
640
627
492
499
Wind (km/h)
10
W
5
WNW
15
W
15
WNW
10
W
15
W
15
WNW
10
WNW
15
WNW
15
WNW
10
NW
15
NW
20
WNW
15
NW
15
NNW
20
NW
15
NW
15
NW
15
NW
10
NW
Wind State
on
glassy
on
cross-on
on
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
9:49PM1.71m
10:32AM1.52m
10:24PM1.61m
10:58AM1.58m
11:03PM1.45m
11:26AM1.62m
11:48PM1.26m
11:59AM1.63m
00:47AM1.06m
12:40PM1.62m
2:26AM0.88m
1:40PM1.57m
Low Tide
3:54PM0.38m
4:28AM0.02m
4:32PM0.33m
4:52AM0.13m
5:13PM0.29m
5:15AM0.26m
6:01PM0.28m
5:38AM0.41m
7:00PM0.30m
6:01AM0.58m
8:20PM0.32m
6:23AM0.73m
10:06PM0.27m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:22
6:22
6:22
6:24
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:19
7:16
7:15
7:15
7:14
7:12
7:10
 mm
Temp °C
25
25
25
24
23
23
23
22
22
22
22
23
23
23
24
24
24
24
24
24
Feels °C
28
29
26
24
24
23
22
21
21
21
21
22
21
22
23
22
22
24
21
23
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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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