Doran Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for Doran Beach and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some long-period groundswell on the horizon, but the size and conditions are going to be the main characters in this story. Let’s break it down.

We start off on Sunday, July 19th, with a tiny 2 ft to 3 ft swell from the WNW and SW, with a light cross breeze. The energy is moderate, coming in at 569 (combined energy). It’s not much to write home about, just a bit of a bump. The water temp is a bit chilly at 55°, which is about average for this time of year.

Monday, July 20th, the morning glass-off is a winner. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the west, and there’s a 2 ft SW swell with a period of 16 seconds. The energy is moderate (502), but with those clean conditions, it’ll be the best of the early days. It’s tiny, but that long period will give it some shape.

The middle of the week from Tuesday the 21st through Thursday the 24th is a bit of a write-off. The swell stays small, under 3 ft, with periods mostly around 14 seconds, and the wind gets up, turning cross-shore and messy. The energy drops as low as 237 (combined energy) on Thursday afternoon. It’s just not happening.

Now, things start to get interesting for the weekend. On Friday, July 24th, the swell period jumps to a whopping 24 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The swell height is still only 2 ft to 3 ft, but the energy is ramping up, hitting 842 and 971 (combined energy). The wind is a problem, though, with a moderate cross-shore. This long-period swell is best for points and reefs, not a beach break like Doran, so it might be a bit too straight and closed out.

The real standout is Saturday, July 26th, into Sunday, July 27th. The swell builds to 3 ft on Saturday morning with a 19-second period and a clean cross-off wind from the WNW. The energy is strong at 1129 (combined energy). The forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" – that’s the alert. This is the best on offer for the whole run, but it’s going to be pushing it for beginners. Come Sunday morning, the swell is still solid at 3 ft, clean and cross-off, with strong energy at 1149 (combined energy). This is your window.

Watch out for later on Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th, though. The swell jumps to 8 ft and then 10 ft, with a short period of 7-8 seconds. The wind is strong and clean, but the size is too big for Doran Beach. The forecast actually says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a big red flag. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it might be a washing machine. With that amount of wind and a beach break setup, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

The final week of July and into August sees the swell drop back to the 3 ft to 4 ft range, with periods dropping back to the 14-16 second zone. The wind stays mostly cross-off, but the energy is moderate. It’s nothing special, just a few small, clean waves for the patient ones.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is the Sunday morning, July 26th, and Monday morning, July 27th, with the clean, long-period swell. It’s the standout. The rest of the window is either too small, too windy, or too big. Keep your eyes peeled, because the 26th and 27th look promising.

Rusty

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