Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks at Saltwater. This is a point break that’s fairly consistent, exposed to the swell, and works best when the swell comes from the SE, so keep that in mind.

The start of the period is a bit of a write-off, I’m not gonna lie. There’s really nothing worth paddling out for on Sunday the 13th or Monday the 14th. The ocean is flat and messy, with poor surf conditions both days. We’re looking at a bit of a dry spell right off the bat.

Then Tuesday the 15th morning we get a tiny pulse of hope. It’s glassy, which is a major positive, with a tiny 4ft NNE swell, but the period is a short 6 seconds, and the combined wave energy is only 193 (moderate). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Not exactly a standout, but at least you’re not paddling against a howling wind.

Now, the real event shows up mid-week. Wednesday the 16th morning sees a proper south groundswell kick in – 10ft at 9 seconds from the S, with a staggering 1508 (strong) combined energy. The wind is offshore from the SW, clean. This swell is big, over 8ft, so this is strictly for experienced surfers. It stays solid through Thursday the 17th, with 12ft S swell and clean offshore wind again, energy peaking at 2177 (very strong). Thursday afternoon shifts to a SSE direction, still 10ft, with moderate offshore wind. This is the standout window. The wave quality for experienced surfers is excellent. Friday the 18th morning we see the swell drop to a more manageable 6ft from the SE at 11 seconds, with light offshore winds – that’s a nice call for a crew that’s a bit less gung-ho, but it’s still clean.

After that, things settle again. Saturday the 19th morning is glassy with a 4ft SE swell, still a decent option, but the energy is dropping. From Sunday the 20th onward, the surf gets small and mostly ordinary again, with a lot of days where the wind is onshore or the swell is too weak. There’s a long gap of very little to recommend until the very end of the outlook.

Looking at the weekend of the 26th and 27th, we get a small pulse again. Saturday the 26th morning picks up a 5ft NE swell with a cross-offshore wind from the WNW and combined energy of 337 (moderate). It’s labelled as ‘good surf conditions’, but it’s quite a bit smaller and less powerful than the mid-week event.

The absolute best on offer is Wednesday the 16th through to Friday the 18th morning. That big, clean south groundswell with offshore winds is the real deal. The water temperature is 67°, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

If you’re looking to paddle, that mid-week window is your only true standout. For the kite crew, the blustery, messy days around the 21st with strong wind look more interesting.

Rusty.

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