Doring Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Doring Bay, and honestly, the next 16 days are a mixed bag, with a couple of windows that could be really special if you time it right. The ocean is putting on a show, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid pulse of long-period groundswell from the SW coming through. The wave energy is pumping, with readings well into the thousands (1853 on Sunday morning), but the wind is a fresh cross-off from the ENE at 22 mph, which is keeping things clean. The swell is 5 ft with an 18-second period, which is very long. This kind of swell is a dream for a reef setup like Doring Bay, but the sets will be spaced out. The water is sitting at 53°, which is a massive 7° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s brutally cold, so your thickest wetsuit is non-negotiable. The Sunday morning session is a goer, but the score is marginal, so don’t expect perfection.

As we move into Monday the 7th, the swell holds at 5 ft to 6 ft, but the period drops to 14 seconds, still a good groundswell. The morning has a NE cross-off at 16 mph, keeping it clean. By Monday afternoon, the wind swings light from the SSW, becoming a cross-shore, and the wave energy drops to 1021. It’s still rideable, but not the standout.

The real gem of the first week is shaping up for Saturday the 12th. The morning is glassy – a dead calm SSW wind at 3 mph – and the swell is a clean 4 ft from the SW at 11 seconds. The energy is moderate at 785, but with glassy conditions, this is a paddler’s paradise. The waves will be clean and well-shaped, perfect for an intermediate. This is the best on offer in the near term, a true standout.

Now, hold onto your board, because the second half of the week gets heavy. By Thursday the 10th afternoon, the swell jumps to 10 ft from the SW with a 15-second period, and the energy is monstrous at 4480. The wind is a cross-off at 16 mph, keeping it clean, but the forecast says it’s too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a serious, serious paddle. The same pattern continues through the 16th and 17th of September, with swells consistently over 10 ft, periods of 13-14 seconds, and energy readings over 3000. The wind is often cross-off or clean, but the size is intimidating. If you’re a pro, the Thursday morning of the 17th is a standout with an 12 ft SW swell at 13 seconds and energy of 4118, with a light cross-off wind. The waves will be powerful and lined up, but you’d better be on your game.

The last few days of the window, from the 18th to the 21st, see the swell drop back down to 3 ft to 8 ft, but the wind gets messy. There’s a lot of onshore and cross-on flow, and the scores are poor. The 20th of September is a write-off, with onshore winds and small, weak swell.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet in the near term is the glassy Saturday morning the 12th. For the brave, the big swell windows around the 10th and 17th have a dangerous, powerful beauty. Just know your limits. The long-period groundswell is fantastic for the reef, but it’s a real handful.

Rusty.

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