Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Saltwater.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first couple of days are a write-off, with tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. We’re talking waves barely 2ft and a combined energy of just 52, so don’t even bother paddling out on Tuesday the 28th or Wednesday the 29th.

Things start to wake up on Thursday the 30th. The morning brings a clean 3ft S swell, with a period of 12 seconds and a combined energy of 426. The wind is light and cross-offshore, making for some decent, clean waves. It’s not pumping, but it’s a start. The afternoon gets a bit more size, up to 6ft, but the wind swings around and gets a bit cross-off, making it a bit more marginal.

Now, the real standout window is Friday the 31st of July through to Saturday the 1st of August. Friday morning is where it’s at. We’re looking at a clean 6ft S swell (720 energy) with a light offshore wind from the WSW. That’s the kind of combo that gets the blood pumping. The afternoon bumps up to 7ft (1588 energy), but the wind shifts onshore, so the morning is the clear winner. Saturday morning offers a solid 5ft S swell (477 energy) with clean conditions, and the afternoon goes glassy with a 5ft SSE swell (493 energy) and no wind. That’s a beautiful, clean session.

For a beginner-friendly spot, most of that swell is manageable, but when it hits 6ft to 7ft, it’s going to be a bit more challenging for the less experienced. The water temperature is sitting at 66°, which is bang on average for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

After that window, the surf drops off quickly. Sunday the 2nd is a no-go with onshore winds, and then we hit a long flat spell. From Monday the 3rd right through to the end of the period on Wednesday the 12th of August, it’s basically a dead zone. You’ll see some tiny pulses of energy, like a 4ft to 4ft swell on the 5th and 6th, but the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, ruining any chance of quality. The 6th of August has a brief pulse of 6ft S swell with offshore wind and a combined energy of 1227, but it’s paired with rain showers and the forecast is less certain that far out, so it’s a gamble.

Overall, your best bet is to circle Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st. That’s the meat of the window. The rest of the forecast is pretty bleak, with a solid 10-day gap of poor conditions from the 3rd onward. The break itself is fairly consistent, so when it’s flat for this long, it’s a bit of a bummer, but that’s the way she goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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