Salt Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Salt Rock’s got cookin’ over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this stretch is looking pretty grim for paddle surfing. We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions right off the bat, so don’t expect much action for a while.

The first real chance you’ll have to even think about it is on Friday the 21st of August, but it’s a marginal call at best. We’re looking at a 5ft SSW groundswell with a long 14-second period, pushing moderate wave energy (764). The wind is a cross-shore from the ENE at 15 mph, so it’ll be a bit choppy. It’s surfable, but you won’t be writing home about it.

Then on Saturday the 22nd, the morning session is the only real standout in this whole forecast. It’s small – just 2ft from the SSW with that same long 14-second period – and the energy is weak (161). But the wind is light from the North, almost offshore, and the conditions are described as clean. For a beginner-friendly reef break like Salt Rock, that tiny, clean swell might just be the most fun you’ll have all week. The water temp is 71°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

After that, things go downhill again. The wind turns onshore and the swell gets bigger and lumpy. The rest of the first week and into the second week is basically a write-off. There’s a pulse of bigger swell around Monday the 24th (7ft S swell, 14 seconds, moderate energy at 1527) and Wednesday the 26th (6ft S swell, a very long 19-second period, strong energy at 2728), but the wind is either cross or cross-on, and the reports all say poor or marginal. For a reef setup, that long-period S swell could be too straight, and with the wind, it’s just messy.

Honestly, from the 22nd of August right through to the 3rd of September, there’s barely a session worth paddling out for. The wind is either too strong or from the wrong direction, and the swell is either too small or too messy. A few days in early September have tiny 1ft to 2ft swells with strong winds – that’s more of a kiteboarding breeze than a surf session.

So, my take: If you’re desperate, get out early on Saturday the 22nd for a clean, tiny wave. Otherwise, keep your board in the car and wait for a better forecast. This is one of those stretches where the ocean just isn't cooperating for paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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