Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's get into it, crew. Rusty here. We’ve got a solid window of surf coming up at Saltwater, but you’ll need to be patient for the really good stuff.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. Nothing to get excited about, but no complaints either.

The week kicks off on Tuesday the 21st with a fun little morning session. We’re looking at a clean 5ft easterly swell with a 10-second period. Combined energy is moderate (489), and with that glassy, 3 mph northwesterly breeze, it’ll be smooth as butter. This is a good one for the beginners to get a few. The wind goes a bit cross-on in the afternoon, so get out early.

Wednesday the 22nd is another clean morning, with a smaller 4ft swell from the ENE. Energy drops off (278), but it’s still surfable, especially for the learners. The wind is a light cross-off, so the waves will hold their shape.

Thursday the 23rd offers small, clean 3ft waves. The energy is low (117), but it’s a nice, gentle offshore wind in the afternoon. It’s a board-short and a single-fin kind of day.

Now, the first real standout comes Friday the 24th. The morning kicks off with a solid 7ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is a clean 9 mph offshore. The energy jumps to strong (814). The afternoon is where it’s at though: 8ft of S swell with a 10-second period and a light cross-off breeze. The combined energy is very strong (1815). This is excellent for experienced surfers. The sets will have some punch.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th keep the quality going. The swell is around 5ft to 6ft from the south, with a long period of 11-12 seconds. This is a proper groundswell, and it’ll bend nicely into the point. The wind is offshore or light cross-off, keeping it clean. Energy is high (in the 600-700 range). This is a great run of surf for anyone who can handle it.

Monday the 27th is a bit of a drop-off. The morning is okay with a clean 4ft S swell, but the wind goes cross-on in the afternoon, and the energy drops away (274 to 219). The rest of the week from Tuesday the 28th through to Wednesday the 29th is a flat spell. The waves get tiny and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we get to the big one. Thursday the 30th of July. The morning is a beast: 10ft of S swell with a 12-second period. The combined energy is huge (2768). But the afternoon is even bigger, with a 12ft S swell and a massive energy reading of 4727. This is deep water, heavy groundswell. The wind is light and cross-off. This is expert-only territory. Unless you’re on a gun and know what you’re doing, stay on the sand.

Friday the 31st of July keeps the size going with 10ft of SSE swell in the morning, dropping to 8ft in the afternoon. The period is a very long 12 seconds, so expect long lulls between big, powerful sets. This is a point break, so it should handle that energy, but it’s still only for the experienced.

Saturday the 1st of August is another morning of big, clean 10ft surf. The wind is glassy offshore. The energy is immense (2840). The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-on breeze, so the morning is the window.

Sunday the 2nd of August is the absolute peak of this run. The morning session has a 10ft S swell, an 11-second period, and a staggering 4114 combined energy. The wind is light and offshore. This is as good as it gets for the big-wave crew. The afternoon is still pumping with 10ft surf.

The swell starts to ease a touch into Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of August, but it’s still pumping with 8ft to 7ft of SSE swell. The wind is offshore and moderate, so it’ll be a bit wind-affected, but still very powerful. Energy is still very strong (over 1000).

The final days, Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th, the swell drops back to a more manageable 5ft, with the wind staying offshore in the morning. It’s a nice way to finish the run.

The standouts are clear: Friday the 24th afternoon for the first big pulse, and then the entire period from Thursday the 30th through to Sunday the 2nd of August for the big, powerful groundswell. That stuff is for the chargers.

Rusty.

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