Salt Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s see what’s in store for Salt Rock over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, there’s a bit of a flat spell to start. The first session worth paddling out for is Wednesday morning the 22nd of July. It’s a slow start, but we’ll get into it.

Wednesday morning the 22nd sees a 4ft SE swell rolling in at 12 seconds. That’s a decent groundswell, and with a light NE breeze at 6 mph giving us cross-shore conditions, it’ll be clean enough. The combined energy is moderate (741). It’s not a standout, but it’s a start. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Wednesday afternoon the wind picks up to 16 mph, and the swell drops a fraction. It gets a bit choppy, so keep it to the morning session if you’re keen.

Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are rough. The wind goes onshore and strong, especially Friday morning with a 10ft SSW swell at 9 seconds and a 25 mph cross-onshore wind – that’s a mess. Combined energy is strong (1479), but it’s blown out. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Saturday the 25th morning brings a small window: 5ft SSE swell at 9 seconds, light E wind, cross-on. It’s marginal, but if you’re desperate, you could get a few. Not a recommendation.

From Sunday the 26th through to Tuesday the 28th, the swell drops away and the wind stays messy. There’s a spike of 6ft on Sunday afternoon but it’s from the ENE at 6 seconds – crap period and fresh wind. Skip it.

Now, the real standout comes on Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning shows a 4ft SSW swell at 16 seconds – that’s a very long-period groundswell. Combined energy is strong (1078). The wind is cross-onshore at 12 mph, which is a bit of a drag, but the period is so long it’ll still push through. The break is a reef, so that long period will wrap in nicely. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best energy of the week. The afternoon picks up to 7ft from the S at 10 seconds, but the wind stays cross-onshore – still rideable.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are messy again with strong winds. Not worth a mention.

The next promising window is Saturday the 1st of August. The afternoon shows a 5ft E swell at 10 seconds with a light SSE onshore breeze – that’s glassy enough to be clean. Combined energy is moderate (870). It’s marginal, but the conditions are light enough to make it work.

Sunday the 2nd onward is mostly small and weak. Monday the 3rd sees a 5ft E swell at 7 seconds but with 19 mph cross-shore wind – messy. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are the last chance: Wednesday the 5th morning has a 7ft E swell at 11 seconds, moderate energy (1040). Wind is light cross-shore, so it’s clean. That’s a solid option for the second week, but note that 7ft is getting into the bigger range, so it’s not for beginners. The reef setup will handle that swell well.

After that, Thursday the 6th of August drops off to nearly nothing.

The best bet overall? Wednesday morning the 29th of July – that long-period SSW groundswell is the real standout. The reef at Salt Rock will love it. Be aware that crowds are possible here sometimes. The second best is Wednesday the 5th of August, but I’d put your money on the 29th.

Rusty.

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