Doolin Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've got the scoop on what's happening at Doolin Point over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it's a bit of a rough patch ahead. The opening days are a write-off, with poor surf conditions and a messy cross-shore wind. We've got a moderate energy swell pushing through on Wednesday afternoon, with a 7ft swell from the west at 10 seconds, but it's coming in with a fresh 35 km/h onshore wind, so it's just blown out. The combined swell energy is moderate at 725, but it's wasted with that wind. The water temperature is running at 17°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

We're looking at a long stretch of near-flat, grovelly conditions from Thursday the 20th right through to Sunday the 23rd. Swell heights drop below 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-shore, creating a lumpy, choppy mess. The energy drops right off into the double digits, so it's not worth paddling out for.

Things start to look a little more promising on Monday the 24th. There's a 2ft groundswell from the west-northwest, and the period bumps up to 12 seconds, which is a good sign. The wind is offshore from the east-southeast at 15 km/h, so the morning session could be clean. The combined energy is 145, so it's a weak pulse, but it's a start. The afternoon gets a bit bigger with 3ft from the west-northwest, but the wind turns cross-off, so it's still ok.

The 25th and 26th are more of the same: small, clean waves but nothing to get excited about. The offshore wind is there, but the swell is just too small.

Then we get a real standout on the morning of Thursday the 27th of August. The swell picks up to 5ft from the west, with a 9-second period, and the wind goes glassy – completely calm. That's a major positive, and the combined energy is 367, which is a solid moderate push. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions," and with clean, glassy lines, this is your best bet in the whole window. The 7ft afternoon swell from the west-northwest is bigger, but the wind turns cross-on and it gets choppy.

The next big standout is the morning of Sunday the 30th of August. We've got a 7ft swell from the west, with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the southeast. The combined energy is 634, a strong pulse, and it's looking clean. This is a good one, but it's a bit further out, so keep an eye on the forecast. The afternoon gets bigger at 8ft from the west, but the onshore wind ruins it.

After that, we're back into a period of strong onshore winds and bigger, lumpy surf from the 31st through to the 2nd of September. The swell is solid, over 7ft, and the energy is in the 700-900 range, but the wind is onshore, making it a mess. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's not going to be pretty.

The 3rd of September sees a drop in size, but the wind is a crazy near-gale from the southeast at 60 km/h, so again, not a day for surfing.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are Thursday morning the 27th of August with glassy 5ft waves, and Sunday morning the 30th of August with clean 7ft waves. The 27th is the clear standout for quality. Don't bother with the rest unless you're an expert and don't mind choppy, heavy conditions. The long-range standout on the 30th is promising but less certain at this stage.

Rusty.

Read more