Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, switching to feet and miles.

The early part of the outlook is a bit of a slow burner, but there’s a solid run of swell building through the second week, with a couple of days that are genuinely worth circling on the calendar. The water temperature at Saltwater is sitting at 20°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real action kicks off on Wednesday morning, the 15th. A solid 8ft S swell arrives with a fresh 30 km/h offshore wind, keeping things clean. The combined energy is ramping up (824), but at 8ft, this is pushing into beginner territory – it’s going to have some punch. The swell period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and less organized. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 10ft from the S with a longer 10-second period and a clean cross-off breeze. The energy jumps to 1902, so there’s plenty of power. This is expert-level size, and the rain showers won’t bother the dedicated crew.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th see overlapping southerly swells hanging around 8ft to 8ft, with moderate cross-off winds. The energy stays in the 800-1000 range. It’s surfable, but not the peak of the run.

The standout window opens on Saturday the 18th. The morning sees 8ft from the ESE with a gentle 15 km/h cross-off breeze and a clean surface. The energy is strong at 1154. The afternoon holds 8ft from the ESE with a 10-second period and energy at 1458. This is a big, clean swell for confident surfers.

Sunday the 19th holds 10ft from the E all day, but the wind shifts onshore, so the surface won’t be as clean. The energy is huge – 1913 in the morning, climbing to 2225 in the afternoon – but the cross-on breeze will mess with the shape. At this size, it’s only for experts.

The true standout is Monday the 20th. The morning is absolute magic: 10ft from the E with a 12-second period, glassy conditions, and the energy hitting 2267. That’s a very strong, long-period groundswell with perfect conditions. The water is like glass. This is for experienced surfers only due to the size. The afternoon holds 8ft from the E, still glassy, with energy at 1753. If you can get out, this is the day.

Tuesday the 21st keeps the quality high with a 8ft E swell and a 12-second period, with a gentle offshore breeze in the morning (1754 energy). The afternoon gets a stronger 25 km/h offshore, but risk of thunderstorms.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd continue the run of 8ft to 10ft S swells with clean offshore winds. The energy is huge, peaking at 3015 on Thursday afternoon. This is a long run of quality, but all of it is for experienced surfers.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th sees the swell drop back to 5ft to 7ft, with cleaner conditions returning. Sunday the 26th afternoon is glassy with a 5ft ESE swell and 594 energy – a nice, mellow finish for the less experienced.

Rusty.

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