Doran Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Doran Beach has cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

The outlook starts on Saturday the 4th of July, but it’s a slow one to kick off. The first few days are pretty marginal. Saturday morning you’re looking at a weak 4ft swell from the WNW, but that light cross-onshore breeze is messing with it, and the combined energy is only slight at 302. Not worth paddling out for. Saturday afternoon drops right off to a tiny 2ft, despite a very long 20-second period, it’s just not doing anything. Sunday the 5th and Monday the 6th are more of the same, with small 2ft to 2ft swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds. There’s a real flat spell here for a few days.

Things start to get interesting on Tuesday the 7th. Tuesday morning is the first real standout. We’ve got a solid 5ft swell from the WNW with a nice 11-second period, and the wind is clean and cross-offshore. The combined energy is strong at 1096. This is good for experienced surfers, and it’s the best on offer for the first week. That clean cross-off wind will keep the faces tidy. Crowds at Doran can be around sometimes, but for this quality, it’s worth the company.

Wednesday the 8th morning keeps the clean cross-off wind going, but the swell drops back to 3ft. The energy is still moderate to strong at 1572, but it’s not the size of Tuesday.

Then we hit a bit of a wall. Thursday the 9th brings a 10ft swell from the WNW, which is way too big for this break and only for experts if anyone’s crazy enough. The wind is fresh and cross-off, but that size is just raw power with short 8-second period. Not a friendly wave.

The following days from Friday the 10th through to Sunday the 12th see a drop in size and a bit of a messy picture. The swell hangs around 5ft to 8ft, but the period is short and the winds are variable. There’s a spot on Saturday the 11th afternoon with an 8ft NW swell and clean cross-off wind, but that 7-second period makes it a bit of a close-out machine. By Sunday the 12th morning, the swell collapses to just 2ft from the SW with a long 14-second period, but the energy is weak at 206.

From the 13th of July into the 16th, we see a return of moderate swell, mostly 6ft to 8ft from the WNW and NW, with short 8-second periods. The wind stays mostly cross-offshore, so the conditions will look clean, but those short-period close-outs are not ideal for a relaxing session. The energy levels are moderate to strong, with a reading of 1308 on the morning of the 16th, but that short period really holds it back.

The last few days from the 17th to the 19th of July drop back down. There’s some long-period groundswell in there, with 16 to 17-second periods, but the swell height is small at 2ft to 3ft. The energy is moderate, around 800 to 500, but it’s just not enough to push over the sandbar properly. Sunday the 19th afternoon has a 22 mph cross-off wind and a 2ft swell – that’s more of a windy, choppy day for a kite than a paddle.

So, to sum it up: the standout is Tuesday the 7th of July morning. The biggest, cleanest swell with a decent period and glassy wind. After that, it’s a mix of too big, too short period, or too small. There’s a long gap of nothing much from the 9th through to the 13th. The second week has some promise but it’s often let down by short periods or wind strength.

Water temp at Doran Beach is sitting at 55°F, which is right about average for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, because things can change, but right now it’s all about that Tuesday morning.

Rusty.

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