Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us at Saltwater.

We’ve got a fair bit of swell on the horizon, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start. The first proper surfable waves we see kick off Saturday morning, 18 July, with a 6 ft swell out of the SE. The combined energy is moderate at 384, but it’s a short period of 7 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and fat. The wind is a cross-off SSE breeze at 12 mph, which keeps it clean enough, but it’s only a marginal session. The water is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.

The action picks up through Sunday, 19 July. By Sunday afternoon, we’ve got a solid 8 ft swell from the E, with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 1,517. That’s some proper power. The wind is still cross-off from the SSE at 10 mph, and the conditions are clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. If you’re a beginner, that 8 ft is a bit heavy, so sit this one out.

Now, the real standout? Monday morning, 20 July. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the SE, and we’ve got a 6 ft swell from the E with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is moderate at 882, but those glassy conditions are going to make it silky smooth. This is a very good session for anyone who can handle the size. The swell direction is from the ESE, which is close to the optimum SE direction, so the point at Saltwater should be set up real nice. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Monday afternoon sees the swell drop a touch and the wind turns cross-on, so it gets a bit messy. Tuesday and Wednesday look pretty ordinary, with swell dropping right down to 3 ft on Wednesday morning, 22 July. Thursday morning, 23 July, sees a tiny 2 ft swell with offshore wind, but it’s barely worth a paddle.

Then, hold onto your boards. Friday, 24 July. We’ve got a new S swell. Friday morning kicks off with a 7 ft swell from the S, period of 9 seconds, and a strong offshore wind from the SW at 10 mph. The energy is 805 – moderate, but that offshore wind is the key. Then Friday afternoon, it jumps to a 8 ft S swell, period of 10 seconds, and a combined energy of 1,940. The wind is light cross-off from the SSE. This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The S direction is right on the money for the optimum SE direction. This is the other big standout.

The second week has some fun pulses, but nothing as clean as that Monday and Friday. The weekend of 25-26 July has some glassy periods with 5 ft S swell, but the energy is lower. The following week, from 28 July onward, we see a few more S swells, but the wind is often stronger or onshore, which makes it a bit of a battle. The best of the second week is likely Tuesday morning, 28 July, with a 5 ft S swell and a moderate offshore breeze at 12 mph, keeping it clean. The energy is 453, so it’s worth a look.

The end of the period, 1 and 2 August, has some ENE swell, but the direction is not ideal for the optimum SE, and the wind is not always friendly. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

So, to sum it up: Monday morning, 20 July, is the top pick for the glassy, clean conditions on a solid E swell. Friday, 24 July, is the pick for the powerful, offshore S swell. Get out there if you can.

Rusty.

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