Salt Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Salt Rock over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, looking at the whole picture, it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is littered with strong cross-shore winds and messy conditions, leaving very few windows of clean, rideable surf. We’ve got a short run of almost nothing in the first week, then a few glimmers of hope, but nothing that screams "go-time."

We start off with a bit of a tease on Wednesday, August 26th. The morning is a no-go with that 9 mph cross-on southerly making it choppy. But the afternoon sees a bump in size to 7ft of solid south swell, with a very long 18-second period. The wave energy is pumping (2979), and the wind is just "on" – not ideal, but the size and power are there. The real issue is the wind direction. It’s a big, powerful groundswell, but with that onshore wind, it’s going to be a battle. The water temp is a warm 70°, which is about average for this time of year at Salt Rock.

Thursday, August 27th, is a write-off. That 28 mph cross-shore wind is just going to destroy the 7ft swell. The same story continues through the weekend, with strong winds and chop. By Sunday, August 30th, the swell drops to 1ft in the morning, then a short-period 5ft (only 6 seconds) hits in the afternoon, but it’s still cross-on and ugly.

The entire first week is a gap of poor quality. There’s just nothing to recommend.

We finally get a little window of hope on Tuesday, September 1st. The afternoon shows a tiny 1ft south swell, but the wind switches to a light 3 mph cross-offshore from the north. The comment says "clean." This is your only chance for a glassy session, but you’ll be on a micro-skim board. The energy is a weak 18. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s for the longboard or the small-wave gear.

The next notable event is on Wednesday, September 2nd, in the afternoon. A 5ft south-southwest swell with a long 15-second period rolls in, and the wind is light onshore. The energy is moderate (925), but it’s a marginal call with questionable tide conditions. It could be okay, but it’s not a standout.

The long-range forecast up to September 10th is mostly the same story: big winds, messy chop. There’s a big 12ft swell on Monday, September 7th, but it’s cross-on and huge. At that size, over 8ft, it’s for experts only, and with the wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. Not a good look.

The standout, if you can call it that, is that Tuesday afternoon on September 1st. It’s the only time the wind offers a clean face. The swell is tiny, but the conditions will be the most pleasant. For the rest, it’s a case of watching the wind and hoping for a shift. This is a reef break, so that long-period groundswell on the 26th and 2nd could have some shape, but the wind is the enemy.

Rusty.

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