Doring Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's cooking at Doring Bay.

Straight up, this is a classic South African reef setup that loves a solid SW swell, and the next couple of weeks are going to dish out some serious power. We've got a massive pulse of energy coming, but you've got to pick your windows carefully because the wind is going to be the main character through a lot of this.

The water's sitting at 56°, which is a good 3° colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit, no doubt about it.

The first proper chance to get wet and actually enjoy it is the morning of Friday, the 28th of August. It’s not big, just 3ft of groundswell from the WSW with a long 16 second period, but that southerly cross-offshore breeze is going to have it looking clean as a whistle. The energy is moderate but solid at 616. It’s a small, clean start.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are pretty much write-offs. The south-southwest wind is howling, cross-shore and lumpy, turning 8ft to 8ft of swell into a messy, choppy mess. Kite surfers might be frothing, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass.

The first real standout is Monday morning, the 1st of September. This is the one. The wind drops to a light south-southwest breeze, almost cross-offshore, and the water cleans right up. You’ve got a 8ft SW groundswell with an 11 second period pumping in with very strong moderate energy (1399). That’s proper, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The reef will be handling it nicely with that direction, and it’s going to be a session to remember.

Things go bonkers after that. Tuesday the 2nd of September sees a monster 15ft to 16ft SW swell roll in with a period of 17 to 19 seconds. The energy readings are off the charts at 15,752. This is not a surf for the faint of heart. It is strictly for the experts only, and honestly, the raw power on that reef will be terrifying and unsurfable for most. The conditions look clean on the Wednesday the 3rd morning, with an 12ft swell and light southerly winds, but that's still a massive, heavy wave. Only the brave or the foolish.

After that massive pulse fades, we get a nice little window on Friday the 4th of September. The swell drops to a manageable 6ft from the SW, and we get a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SSE. Solid moderate energy at 1112, and a much more relaxed vibe.

Looking further out, there’s another promising window. On Sunday the 6th of September, a 3ft WSW groundswell with a very long 18 second period moves in. The wind is dead calm from the early morning, clean with a slight air. It’s not big, but the quality will be there. Then Monday the 7th of September is the standout from the second week. A similar 4ft WSW swell, but the wind is glassy – dead flat, no wind at all. That early session is going to be pure silk on the reef, with 652 of energy.

The window on Friday the 11th of September is worth a mention too: a clean morning with 5ft of WSW swell and an offshore breeze, building to a punchy 8ft in the afternoon, but the wind picks up.

The best of the best: Monday the 1st of September morning for the experienced crew looking for a proper, powerful session. For the cleaner, glassy, more user-friendly wave, Monday the 7th of September morning is the absolute winner. Get it while it’s calm.

Rusty.

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