Doran Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Doran Beach.

Water temp is about 60°F, which is a little warmer than usual for this time of year, about 2°F above average. Not a big deal, but feels nice.

The overall picture is pretty average. There’s no big swell coming, just a long stretch of small, inconsistent surf with cross-off or cross-shore winds. The wave energy is moderate, mostly in the three-digit range, so it’s not flat, but it’s not exciting either.

The first real chance to get wet is Friday morning, August 29th. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the SW, with a long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell. The wind is a gentle breeze from the WNW, cross-off, so the surface will be clean. The energy is 937. This is the best window early on. The afternoon gets a bit too windy, so hit it early.

From Saturday the 30th through Tuesday, September 2nd, it’s a mixed bag. Swell drops under 3ft, and winds turn more onshore or cross-shore with chop. August 31st and September 1st are particularly poor – the call is for poor surf conditions with gentle cross-onshore winds and a choppy surface. Not worth the paddle.

There’s a small window on Wednesday morning, September 2nd. A 1ft swell from the SW, but a 19-second period, with light cross-off winds. The energy is only 363 – weak – but the conditions will be clean. It’s an inconsistent spot, so don’t expect much, just a few long-period lines.

The weekend of the 6th and 7th of September looks a bit better. Sunday morning the 6th has a 3ft SW swell, 14 seconds, with light cross-shore winds. Energy is 510. Monday morning the 7th is similar, with a light breeze and cross-off wind, clean conditions. Nothing big, but worth a look.

The standout is Friday morning, September 11th. Swell is only 3ft from the SW, 15-second period, but the wind is a gentle cross-off breeze from the WNW, and the energy is 628. The forecast says very good surf conditions. This is likely the cleanest, most lined-up session of the whole run. It’s a long way out, so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s the one to mark on the calendar.

The last few days, including September 12th, show a spike in swell height to 7ft from the WNW, but the period drops to a short, weak 6 seconds and the wind is a fresh breeze. That’s a messy, blown-out setup. For a beach break like this, that’s more for the kite crew than surfers.

Bottom line: don’t expect bombs. Best bets are the morning of August 29th or the morning of September 11th. For the rest, it’s a long, inconsistent run of small, clean-ish waves with a lot of waiting. That’s Doran Beach for you – it tends not to stay flat for long, but this stretch is a slow one.

Rusty.

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