Salt Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Salt Rock over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, so nothing too wild there. The early part of the outlook is a bit of a struggle. We've got a bit of swell running, but the wind is a real problem. It's mostly cross-onshore and onshore, keeping things messy and choppy. The scores are low, and the comments tell the story – marginal at best, poor at worst. We're looking at waves around 6ft to 4ft through the middle of the week, but the wind just won't cooperate. The combined energy is moderate (743 to 264), but without clean conditions, it doesn't matter much.

Friday the 17th through the weekend is a washout. The swell drops right off, and the wind is still rubbish. You're looking at a few days there with nothing to recommend.

Now, we get a bit of a glimmer late on Tuesday the 21st. The swell is tiny at 3ft, but the wind goes cross-offshore and the conditions clean up. It's a long-period groundswell (13 seconds), so more energy in the water, but it's small. The energy is weak (501). This is a marginal call, but a clean 3ft wave is a lot more fun than a messy 5ft one.

The standout: Wednesday the 22nd of July. This is the one to circle. The swell jumps up to 6ft from the SSW, with a very long period of 16 to 18 seconds. The combined energy is strong (2696 to 2125). The wind is light and cross-shore from the NE, so the conditions will be clean. This is a classic groundswell setup, and Salt Rock is a reef, so it should handle that long period beautifully. The waves will have proper shape and power. This is a big, clean swell – definitely one for the experienced crew, as it's pushing the boundaries for beginners.

The rest of the week after that is a bit of a mixed bag. Thursday the 23rd gets hammered by a strong breeze, making a mess of things. We get another pulse on the 28th of July, with 6ft to 7ft from the east, but the wind is up, making it a cross-shore chop. Then on the 29th of July, we see a huge 13ft SSW swell, but with a short period of 9 seconds. That much swell with that short a period and cross-shore wind will be a beast – unruly and powerful. The energy is very strong (2961 to 2251), but it's a mess.

So, the clear winner is the 22nd of July. Get it while it's good.

Rusty.

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