Doran Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

First off, we’re looking at Doran Beach. It’s an exposed, inconsistent beginner spot, so don’t expect a classic point-break grind. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th have some small, weak swell, but the wind is messy and cross-onshore, leaving the surface pretty chopped up. Not worth paddling out for.

Things start to clean up a bit from Monday afternoon through to Wednesday morning the 26th. The wind goes cross-offshore, and the swell is small, around 2 ft to 2 ft, from the SW. The period is a very long 16-18 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but at this size, it's barely breaking. There’s decent wave energy, but it’s just too small for a proper ride.

Now, Wednesday afternoon the 26th is a different story. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the WNW, but the period drops to a short 6 seconds. That’s a lot of bumpy, weak energy. It’s clean, but with that short period, it’s going to be a bit of a close-out mess. Not the best.

Thursday the 27th afternoon sees a bigger 7 ft swell from the WNW, but again, a short 7-second period. The wind is a fresh 30 km/h cross-offshore, which keeps it clean, but the wave quality is going to be disappointing for the size.

Friday morning the 28th is the first real standout. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the WNW, with an 8-second period. The wind is a gentle 15 km/h cross-offshore, making for clean, workable waves. The energy is strong, and the overall conditions are described as "very good." This is a solid window for a beginner to intermediate session, with enough punch to have fun, but not too big to be scary.

Saturday the 29th gets interesting. The afternoon sees a massive 10 ft swell from the NW, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The energy is very strong, and the wind is a fresh 35 km/h cross-offshore. The report says it’s too big for this break. For a beginner spot like Doran, 10 ft is a monster. This is expert-only, if anyone is brave enough. The morning is smaller, with a 3 ft SW groundswell at 18 seconds, but it’s a bit blown out.

Sunday the 30th is similar: a 10 ft NW swell in the afternoon that’s too big for the break, and a smaller 3 ft SSW groundswell in the morning. The energy is still very strong.

The first week of September is a mixed bag. We get a nice little window on Tuesday morning the 1st with a 2 ft SSW groundswell at 13 seconds and clean conditions, but it’s tiny. The real action comes back on Thursday the 3rd.

Thursday morning the 3rd of September is the standout of the second week. The swell is 6 ft from the WNW with a 9-second period. The wind is a light 10 km/h cross-offshore, making for very clean, glassy conditions. The wave energy is strong, and the forecast is for "very good" conditions. This is a prime morning for a session.

Friday the 4th sees a 3 ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, but the wind goes cross-shore, creating a bit of cross-chop. The energy is very strong, but the period is so long it might be a bit too straight for a beach break like this.

The very end of the outlook, on Sunday the 6th of September, gives us a glassy morning with a 6 ft NW swell at 10 seconds. The wind is a whisper at 5 km/h from the SSW. The energy is strong and the report says "very good." This is another promising morning, but it’s a long way out.

So, to wrap it up: the best bets are Friday morning the 28th of August and Thursday morning the 3rd of September. Both offer solid, clean surf with good energy. The big Saturday blasts on the 29th and 30th of August are too much for this spot. The stretch between the 30th and the 3rd is a bit of a lull with small, clean waves.

Keep it salty.
Rusty

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