Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for Saltwater over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burn, so don’t expect fireworks right away.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a long stretch of nothing much. From now through the end of next week, the ocean is just not playing ball. The first few days have small, weak swell with onshore winds, making for poor surf conditions. There’s a brief moment on Saturday the 22nd afternoon where it goes glassy, but the swell is tiny – only 2ft – so it’s barely a ripple. We’ll see a little improvement on Sunday the 23rd morning with a clean 3ft from the SSE and a light offshore breeze, but it’s still very ordinary. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real action doesn’t fire up until the very end of the forecast. The standout is the morning of Friday the 28th of August. We’ve got a 4ft S swell with a 11-second period, which is a nice long-period groundswell, and the wind is glassy. That’s clean, lined-up waves at Saltwater, a point break that should handle that length just fine. The combined swell energy is 327 (moderate), and it’s the only time in the first week we see a score worth chasing. That’s your best bet for the early window.

But hold onto your board, because the real monster shows up on Monday the 31st of August. The afternoon brings a massive 13ft S swell with a 13-second period – that’s very long period groundswell pumping in. The combined energy is a whopping 8120 (very strong). This is heavy, powerful stuff. For Saltwater, being a point break, it might actually handle this size, but for the average surfer, this is expert-only territory. The wind is onshore, but with that much energy, it’s still going to be a spectacle. The following morning, Tuesday the 1st of September, holds a 12ft SSE swell from the same system, but the wind picks up onshore, making it a bit messy.

The late window on Wednesday the 2nd of September has 10ft SSE swells, and then Thursday the 3rd of September morning is the real gem. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve still got a 8ft SSE swell with 11-second period. The energy is 2899 (very strong), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The crowd factor at Saltwater is "often," so expect company, but for waves that size and quality, it’ll be worth it.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a washout with a tiny window on the 28th morning. The second week builds into a serious swell event, with the absolute best on offer being Thursday the 3rd of September morning. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

Rusty, out.

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