Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period, ESE swell with 433 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with S 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 Saturday (Aug 15) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, it's Rusty here, and I've got the rundown on Saltwater. The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, so let's get into it. We've got a slow start before things really crank toward the end of the month.
The weekend kicks off with a bit of action, but not a whole lot of size. Saturday morning has some 4ft waves with a short 7-second period, cross-off breeze and glassy conditions. The water's sitting at about 66° which is pretty much spot on for this time of year. But the energy is weak, coming in at just 259, so the ocean's a bit lazy. I'd say it's passable but nothing to write home about. The afternoon gets a little more energy behind it (400), but the breeze picks up and it gets messy.
Sunday morning shapes up a touch better. The swell pushes to 5ft with a light SSW cross-off breeze. The energy jumps to 512, and it's looking clean. That's worth a paddle for sure. The afternoon backs off slightly to 5ft.
Then we hit a bit of a lull. From Monday through Friday, the surf stays around the 3ft mark or smaller, with the wind all over the shop and mostly cross or onshore. The energy drops into the low hundreds. It's a proper flat spell, so you might be better off doing something else.
Saturday the 22nd still small at 2ft, but there's a bit of energy returning on the Sunday after. The 23rd has clean glassy conditions on the morning with 4ft, but it's ordinary. Monday the 24th has those long-period leftovers from a swell but at a tiny 1ft. The wind is glassy in the morning, but there's just not enough water moving.
Now, here's where things get interesting. Starting Wednesday the 26th, we see a little pulse with 5-5ft on the Wednesday, but the winds are up and the swell direction (NE) isn't ideal for this spot. That's not the one.
We then have another few days of small surf until we hit the real deal at the end of the month. Saturday the 29th is when it all kicks off. The swell starts to build through the morning, hitting 13ft with a 14-second period from the SSE. The energy is off the charts at 6021. The wind is a cross-off breeze, so it's big, powerful, and clean. By the afternoon, it's 15ft with a 13-second period and the energy is an insane 11524. This is proper, hold-onto-your-board territory—this is not for the faint of heart.
Sunday the 30th keeps the juice flowing with 12ft in the morning and glassy conditions. The energy is still 5451. It's a big, clean, powerful swell. Then it eases to 8ft in the afternoon.
So here's the long and short of it. The standout is clearly Saturday the 29th. That's the one to mark on the calendar. It's a big, powerful groundswell with a clean cross-off wind. If you're a confident surfer, that's going to be a proper session. Sunday the 30th is also excellent, maybe a touch smaller but still glassy and powerful. The better of the two days for the less experienced will be Sunday as it drops a bit.
Until then, it's a waiting game.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
139 | 294 | 364 | 220 | 192 | 97 | 163 | 160 | 164 | 210 | 243 | 202 | 417 | 392 | 226 | 120 | 205 | 139 | 125 | 96 | 75 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:57PM1.58m | 10:34AM1.38m | 10:36PM1.42m | 11:15AM1.37m | 11:16PM1.26m | 11:59AM1.35m | 11:58PM1.10m | 12:47PM1.31m | 00:47AM0.98m | 1:44PM1.27m | 1:52AM0.88m | 2:52PM1.25m | 3:18AM0.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:43PM0.19m | 4:22AM0.06m | 4:31PM0.26m | 4:56AM0.14m | 5:20PM0.35m | 5:29AM0.23m | 6:13PM0.44m | 6:05AM0.33m | 7:16PM0.52m | 6:47AM0.41m | 8:32PM0.56m | 7:42AM0.48m | 9:55PM0.55m | ||||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | — | 5 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSE 19 | SSE 8 | S 7 | SSE 17 | S 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | S 9 | SE 8 | S 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
65 | 72 | 245 | 93 | 170 | 85 | 163 | 160 | 55 | 210 | 59 | 202 | 417 | 392 | 226 | 120 | 205 | 139 | 125 | 96 | 75 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 18 | SE 5 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SE 11 | S 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 15 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 13 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 |
18 | 18 | 102 | 29 | 25 | 70 | 144 | 125 | 43 | 36 | 99 | 145 | 17 | 27 | 4 | 108 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 19 | S 14 | ENE 10 | SSE 17 | ENE 10 | SE 7 | SSE 16 | — | E 10 | S 12 | E 9 | S 11 | E 10 | S 15 | — | E 11 | S 14 | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 |
37 | 16 | 19 | 170 | 20 | 12 | 51 | — | 7 | 25 | 6 | 56 | 8 | 4 | — | 2 | 4 | — | 3 | 12 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 6 | — | — | ESE 7 | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 |
139 | 294 | 364 | 220 | 192 | 97 | — | — | 164 | — | 243 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 134 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 116 | 116 | 86 | 48 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 22 | 37 | 260 | 39 | 37 | 56 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











