
Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, SSE swell with 953 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.7m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the surf on offer at Saltwater.
Alright, overall, we've got a decent run of surf coming up, but don't expect everything to be firing all day. The water temp’s around 66°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The first week has a few real highlights, but there are also plenty of periods that get mucked up by the wind, so you'll need to pick your moments. The second week looks more promising, especially for the crew who aren't afraid of some size.
The action kicks off Sunday morning, August 2nd. We’re looking at a 5ft SSE swell with a 10-second period. The energy is moderate (731), and with 3 mph northerly winds going glassy, it’s going to be clean. That’s a solid call for a point break like Saltwater. The challenge is that the swell direction is SSE, and the spot likes it from SE, but the quality will still be there. For a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent, you could do a lot worse. Just know the crowds can be an issue here, so get out early.
Sunday afternoon, the wind shifts to a cross-onshore ENE breeze at 9 mph, and the swell pushes up to 6ft from the SE. That’s looking more marginal and choppy, so probably not worth the effort.
Monday and Tuesday are flat and wind-affected, with small swell and poor quality. So it’s a quiet spell, don’t waste your time.
Wednesday afternoon, August 5th, is where it gets good again. We’ve got a 4ft SSW swell with a short 6-second period, but the SW wind is offshore at 12 mph. Even though the period is short, that offshore breeze will clean things right up, and the energy is still moderate (341). It’s a solid session for a quick, punchy wave.
Thursday morning, August 6th, is even better. Glassy conditions with a 3 mph WSW wind, and a 4ft S swell at 8 seconds. Clean, fun, and the energy (217) is there. This is a top pick for the week.
Friday morning, August 7th, is another beauty. Glassy winds again, with a 5ft S swell at 10 seconds. The energy jumps to 421, so there’s some punch in these waves. This is likely the standout of the first week.
The weekend (August 8th and 9th) drops off in size and the winds get messy again. Small, poor surf, so maybe give it a miss.
Now, looking into the second week, there’s a big turn. Tuesday morning, August 11th, we’ve got a 5ft S swell with a long 11-second period, and WNW cross-offshore winds at 9 mph. The energy is strong (620), and it will be clean. A long-period swell like this will wrap nicely around the point at Saltwater. This is promising.
The real standout of the whole forecast is Friday morning, August 14th. Hold onto your board. We’re looking at an 8ft SSW groundswell with a 10-second period. The energy is massive (2041), and there’s a glassy 3 mph SW wind. That’s going to be big, powerful, and clean. This is not for beginners – over 8ft is only for experienced surfers. But for the crew that can handle it, this will be the session of the fortnight at Saltwater. It matches the optimum swell direction well.
Saturday, August 15th, gets even bigger but the wind turns onshore and messy, making it more of a beast than a beauty. Sunday morning, August 16th, still has a solid 7ft SSE groundswell with an 11-second period, and clean offshore SSW wind at 6 mph. The energy is strong (1328). Another top session for experienced surfers only.
The tail end of the forecast, Monday August 17th, drops back to a cleaner but smaller 4ft SSE swell, with light winds. A nice way to wind down.
So, to wrap it up, the best on offer for the average surfer is Thursday morning, August 6th, and Friday morning, August 7th. For the experienced crew looking for power, make sure you're out there Friday morning, August 14th.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 7 | E 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
500 | 918 | 563 | 341 | 222 | 147 | 38 | 29 | 35 | 132 | 180 | 98 | 195 | 239 | 400 | 400 | 320 | 215 | 136 | 61 | 92 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 10:31AM1.24m | 10:25PM1.50m | 11:12AM1.27m | 11:03PM1.40m | 11:57AM1.30m | 11:48PM1.28m | 12:48PM1.33m | 00:44AM1.16m | 1:48PM1.36m | 1:55AM1.05m | 2:57PM1.41m | 3:21AM0.98m | 4:07PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:12PM0.33m | 4:57AM0.11m | 4:59PM0.37m | 5:33AM0.14m | 5:52PM0.42m | 6:14AM0.19m | 6:57PM0.46m | 7:02AM0.25m | 8:16PM0.46m | 8:02AM0.31m | 9:43PM0.42m | 9:11AM0.34m | 11:02PM0.32m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | SSE 10 | E 11 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 |
500 | 918 | 563 | 341 | 222 | 147 | 18 | 9 | 35 | 60 | 116 | 98 | 195 | 239 | 400 | 400 | 320 | 215 | 136 | 61 | 92 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | ENE 8 | S 21 | S 21 | S 20 | NE 4 | SSE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 9 | ENE 7 |
228 | 6 | 36 | 35 | 32 | 4 | 38 | 8 | 9 | 44 | 39 | 21 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 47 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | E 17 | NE 7 | E 16 | E 15 | S 19 | NE 4 | E 13 | SE 8 | NE 7 | E 18 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 16 | E 16 | ENE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 7 | E 9 |
3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 29 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 19 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 7 | NE 3 | — | — | SE 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 |
— | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | — | — | 29 | 39 | 132 | 180 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 173 | 39 | 22 | 56 | 0 | 34 | 214 | 39 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 22 |
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.











