Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 17s period, SSE swell with 776 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Saltwater this week:
The surf forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.2m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s happening at Saltwater.
The outlook gets interesting after a slow start. There’s a real run of solid, clean south swell energy coming through from Thursday August 27th through the end of that week and into the weekend. The water temp is 66°, which is about average for this time of year, so no need for extra rubber just yet.
Early on, Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are total write-offs. The swell is messy, the wind is wrong, and it’s a no-go. Don’t bother paddling out.
Thursday the 27th morning is where it kicks off. A clean 6ft south swell fills in, period around 8 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is moderate at 607. It’s not the biggest but the conditions look prime for a beginner-friendly point. Crowds are often possible, so expect company.
Thursday afternoon holds at 5ft from the south, period nudging up to 9 seconds, still clean with a light breeze. Good, consistent fun.
Friday the 28th morning is a little gem. Swell drops to 3ft, but it’s a long-period 12-second south-southeast groundswell, and the wind is glassy—dead calm. That’s as clean as it gets. Wave energy is moderate at 409. This is the kind of morning where you can sit alone and watch the sets roll in perfectly.
Saturday the 29th morning delivers a pumping 5ft south-southeast swell, period 11 seconds, with light offshore wind. Wave energy climbs to 563, and the surf is very good. This is a standout. Afternoon pushes a bit bigger to 6ft with a 10-second period, still clean. That afternoon session could be the best of the week, but it’s getting into the zone where beginners might want to sit it out.
Sunday the 30th morning is a clean 3ft south-southeast swell, light offshore. Good for a recovery session. Wind picks up in the afternoon making it a bit choppy.
Monday the 31st morning is another standout. A clean 3ft south-southeast swell with a very long 16-second period, and glassy conditions. That groundswell will wrap beautifully around this point. Wave energy is strong at 770, which is impressive for the size. There will be long waits between sets, but the waves that come through will be well-shaped and powerful.
After that, the forecast gets tricky. From Tuesday September 1st onwards, quality drops off with onshore winds and weaker energy. There’s a lull through to midweek, and Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are flat and not worth a look.
Around Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of September, the swell tries to push back in but the wind is messy, making it poor for paddle surfing. If you’re into kiting, the beach might look more interesting on those days.
The second week shows modest improvement. Tuesday the 8th of September morning has clean 2ft south swell with a light offshore and moderate energy (230). Wednesday the 9th morning has a fresh 30 km/h offshore wind grooming a 5ft south swell, but it’s short-period and only marginal for quality.
Overall, your best bets are definitely Thursday the 27th through to Monday the 31st of August. The absolute standout is Saturday the 29th morning for that solid, clean south swell, and Monday the 31st morning for the long-period groundswell in glassy conditions.
Keep your eyes on the horizon, and I’ll see you in the lineup.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | S 6 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 16 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
347 | 173 | 136 | 103 | 113 | 327 | 359 | 320 | 242 | 469 | 349 | 487 | 671 | 342 | 172 | 383 | 348 | 512 | 385 | 325 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:30PM1.49m | 7:01AM1.09m | 7:06PM1.55m | 7:37AM1.17m | 7:40PM1.59m | 8:11AM1.25m | 8:14PM1.60m | 8:46AM1.32m | 8:48PM1.57m | 9:21AM1.38m | 9:24PM1.51m | 9:58AM1.43m | 10:02PM1.42m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:11AM0.25m | 12:37PM0.32m | 1:42AM0.18m | 1:17PM0.27m | 2:13AM0.11m | 1:56PM0.23m | 2:42AM0.07m | 2:35PM0.21m | 3:13AM0.06m | 3:16PM0.21m | 3:44AM0.07m | 3:59PM0.23m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | 1 | 12 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
35 | 173 | 136 | 103 | 76 | 221 | 359 | 320 | 132 | 469 | 349 | 487 | 671 | 342 | 172 | 25 | 348 | 124 | 385 | 325 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | S 10 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | S 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 19 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | ENE 9 |
24 | 17 | 24 | 20 | 9 | 51 | 67 | 51 | 242 | 24 | 38 | 40 | 44 | 44 | 71 | 7 | 246 | 512 | 181 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 16 | S 9 | S 9 | N 14 | SE 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | ENE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 19 | ENE 10 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 |
— | 50 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 62 | 35 | 14 | 43 | 36 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 7 | 30 | 134 | 16 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | S 6 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 9 | — | WSW 3 | — | NE 3 |
347 | 2 | — | 6 | 113 | 327 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 383 | — | 1 | — | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 49 | 0 | 19 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 39 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Saltwater Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Saltwater provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Saltwater can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Saltwater surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Saltwater) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Saltwater may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Saltwater is 15 km (9 miles) from Taree. If you plan a holiday in Port Macquarie, look for hotels and other accommodation in Taree. Taree has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











