Donuts Surf Forecast
BREAK TYPE
An isolated reef break near the tip of Point Loma, reached by boat or a cliff scramble.
GOOD FOR
Cobble and rock reef out toward the tip of the peninsula shapes a west-facing peak that holds size when most spots close out. On a clean WNW pulse expect a walling right with the odd shorter left, powerful drops and a fast down-the-line section over deep water. Rewards a paddle-fit surfer on a step-up or a proper mid-length, less about finesse and more about commitment.
BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
WORKS BEST WITH
- Swell Direction
- SW W NW
- Wind
- E NE
- Tide
- Mid
WHEN IT WORKS
The reef sits wide open to west and northwest energy, so the window runs roughly October through March when North Pacific storms line up. Morning offshores off the mesa clean it up before the afternoon westerly kicks in and turns the surface to junk. A pushing tide near mid usually gives the best shape, dead low exposes too much rock.
AVERAGE CROWD FACTOR
- Weekdays
- Mellow
- Weekends
- Packed
WHAT TO KNOW
Shallow rock, urchins, and boils on the inside will punish a blown takeoff, and the current pulling south along the point can drag a tired surfer well off the peak. Great white sightings happen up and down this coastline, and rescue is a long way off. Crowds stay light because the mission is hard, so drop-in etiquette matters more than any localism.
GETTING THERE
Most sessions start with a boat run from Shelter Island or Mission Bay, roughly ten to fifteen minutes across the channel. The alternative is parking along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, picking through one of the sketchier cliff notches, and paddling twenty-plus minutes north around the point. No lifeguards, no restrooms, no showers, so haul water and a leash you trust.