Donuts Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.67° N 117.25° W

Donuts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Donuts sea temperature is
21.5°C
1.2° 

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


Donuts surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,189 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Donuts in the next 16 days are 1.7m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Wed 9th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 17s
Best Surf 5AM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 17s
Most Powerful11PM (Sun 6th Sep)5.5ft (1.7m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. I’ve had a long look at the charts for Donuts, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’re looking at a solid run of poor conditions that lasts a full two weeks, before a couple of mornings right at the very end of the outlook that might just give you a little something to work with.

The water temperature is sitting at 71°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Not a game-changer, but a nice little bonus if you can get in the water.

Right from the start, Sunday the 6th of September, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a 6ft SSW swell, but it’s coming with a nasty 16 mph cross-on wind from the NNW, making it choppy and blown-out. The energy is strong, reading 1110, but it’s useless for a clean ride. This same messy pattern hangs around. Monday the 7th is clear skies but still cross-on with a 6ft SSW swell. Tuesday the 8th drops slightly to 4ft but the wind stays cross-on. Wednesday and Thursday the 9th and 10th see the swell drop to under 3ft, with a very long period of 16 seconds, but the wind is still cross-on. That long period (16 seconds) is a proper groundswell, which at a reef like Donuts can be alright, but not when the wind is on it.

This grim run continues all the way through. The energy levels fluctuate but never get the right wind to unlock the potential. From the 11th to the 19th of September, the reports just say “poor surf conditions” day after day. The wind is a mix of cross and cross-on, with speeds between 6 and 16 mph. There’s a moment on the 13th where the swell bumps up to 5ft from the W, but it’s a short period of 9 seconds and still cross. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most of these days. The energy is moderate, ranging from 279 to 522, but it’s all wind-chop.

Now, hold on. Look at the 20th of September. That Sunday morning and afternoon, the report changes to “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” scoring a 1. It’s the first time we get an onshore wind from the WNW at a light 6 mph. The swell is 3ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period. The energy is 434. It’s not a standout, it’s not perfect, but after two weeks of nothing, this is the closest thing we’ve got. The light wind and clean skies will make it look a lot better than anything else in the window. If you’re desperate, that’s your window.

After that, Monday the 21st reverts back to poor conditions.

So, to sum it up: there is no classic “best day” here. The only thing worth mentioning is Sunday the 20th of September. Donuts (reef) with a 3ft SSW swell, very long period (17 seconds), and light WNW onshore wind. It’s inconsistent and the crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have it quiet. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a bust. Keep an eye on the charts, though – it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sun afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
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)
1.7
SSW
13
1.7
SSW
13
1.7
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
12
1.6
SSW
12
1.5
SSW
11
1.2
SSW
11
1.2
SSW
10
1
SW
10
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SW
16
0.8
SW
17
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
15
0.8
SW
15
0.8
SW
15
0.7
SW
14
0.6
SW
14
1.4
W
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1058
965
1189
871
759
573
305
288
192
214
267
342
437
416
411
390
309
255
203
128
264
Wind (km/h)
25
NNW
35
N
20
NNW
15
NW
20
NW
15
NNW
15
NW
15
NW
5
WNW
10
W
10
SW
5
SW
10
SSW
10
SSW
15
S
20
S
20
S
15
S
25
S
15
SSW
15
SSW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
High Tide
6:02PM1.74m
7:57AM1.26m
7:00PM1.85m
8:25AM1.38m
7:49PM1.91m
8:53AM1.49m
8:34PM1.91m
9:23AM1.59m
9:16PM1.83m
9:52AM1.66m
9:56PM1.71m
10:21AM1.70m
10:37PM1.55m
Low Tide
12:00PM0.84m
1:34AM-0.13m
1:03PM0.67m
2:13AM-0.19m
1:52PM0.49m
2:48AM-0.20m
2:37PM0.34m
3:20AM-0.15m
3:19PM0.23m
3:49AM-0.05m
4:01PM0.16m
4:17AM0.08m
4:42PM0.14m
4:42AM0.24m
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
6:28
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:07
7:06
7:04
7:02
7:01
7:00
6:59
 mm
Temp °C
24
28
27
25
25
25
25
25
26
26
24
24
23
23
22
22
22
22
21
21
21
Feels °C
22
24
25
25
25
25
24
24
26
26
25
26
24
23
22
22
21
23
19
20
22
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Donuts:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest