Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m gonna level with you. We’ve got a solid run of waves coming in at Saltwater, but it kicks off with a bang that’s not for the faint of heart.

Right from Tuesday morning, the 7th of July, we’re looking at a serious pulse of swell. It’s a 12 ft SSE swell, with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a hefty 5,421. That’s a lot of power in the water. The wind is a moderate offshore breeze from the SSW, so it’s gonna be clean. But, mate, this is expert territory. 12 ft is big, and it’s not for beginners. The water temp is sitting at 67°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

That afternoon, it actually bumps up to a 13 ft swell from the SSE with a 12-second period and an even bigger energy reading of 7,009. The wind goes cross-offshore, so it’s still clean, but the size is only getting bigger. Again, this is for the experienced crew only.

Wednesday morning, the 8th, drops a bit to an 8 ft SE swell, 11-second period, and 1,895 energy. Wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the south. This is excellent for experienced surfers – still a bit too much for beginners, but a much more manageable size. The afternoon stays around 8 ft but the wind picks up a bit, so it’s still clean but a little more chop.

Now, Thursday the 9th is where it gets interesting for the average surfer. The swell drops to 7 ft from the SE, 10-second period, and the energy is down to 961. The real kicker though? The wind. It’s glassy. Completely glassy. That’s a major positive. For a point break like Saltwater, this is prime time. The waves will be clean and lined up.

Friday the 10th is still fun, with a 6 ft to 5 ft SE swell, 10-second period, and light cross-offshore winds. The energy is dropping through the 500s, but it’s still clean.

From Saturday the 11th, things get a bit ordinary. The swell drops, the wind turns onshore, and the energy falls off a cliff. We’ve got a flat spell from the 11th through to the 14th, with only tiny, weak waves and poor conditions. We’re talking a few days where you’d be better off doing something else.

There’s a little blip on the 15th with a 3 ft S swell and 12-second period, giving 216 energy. It’s small, but with offshore wind, it’ll be clean. Not a standout, just a chance to get wet.

But hold on. The real second act, and the absolute standout of the second week, is Thursday the 16th of July. The morning kicks off with a 4 ft SSE swell, but the period is a very long 17 seconds. That’s a true groundswell. The energy reading is 1,618 – that’s a solid pulse. The wind is a moderate offshore from the SW. For a point break like Saltwater, that long period is going to produce some incredibly well-shaped, powerful waves with long lulls between sets. The afternoon bumps it up to a 7 ft S swell, 13-second period, still with offshore wind. This is top-tier, experienced surf. The 4 ft morning session with that 17-second period is the pick of the entire two weeks for the crew who know what they’re doing.

After that, the 17th and 18th have some clean, smaller waves in the 5 ft to 4 ft range, but nothing special. Then from the 19th, it’s back to flat, weak, and mostly onshore conditions for the rest of the window.

So, the best on offer? It’s a two-horse race. The big, heavy, expert-only swell on the 7th and 8th of July, and the very clean, long-period groundswell on the 16th of July. For the everyday surfer, Thursday the 9th with the glassy conditions is your best bet for a fun, clean session.

Rusty.

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