Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, ESE swell with 352 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks at Saltwater.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there are a couple of windows that will get the heart pumping. The first real action kicks off on Wednesday the 19th with a nice pulse of energy. The real standout, though, is going to be that last Sunday of the month. Let’s break it down.
Wednesday morning the 19th is your best early bet. We’re looking at a clean 4ft swell from the ESE with a moderate 10-second period pushing through. What really makes it sing is the glassy conditions – barely a breath of wind from the NNE at 3 mph. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so a good old steamer isn’t a bad idea. The combined swell energy is a solid moderate 385, enough to push you around and get some fun ones.
The afternoon turns onshore with a NE breeze at 9 mph, and the quality drops right off. Thursday and Friday are pretty much write-offs with smaller, onshore junk. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are tiny – you’d be fighting for dribbles. There’s a bit of a lull, but keep your eyes peeled.
Monday afternoon the 24th we get another short window. The swell jumps back up to 3ft from the NE with a 8-second period, and it’s glassy again. The combined energy is a moderate 204, so it’ll be fun but not huge.
Tuesday the 25th is surfable but ordinary. A glassy morning gives way to a moderate offshore wind in the afternoon from the SW at 12 mph, which cleans things up for the 2ft NE swell.
Now, Wednesday the 26th is where it gets interesting. A solid pulse arrives: 5ft from the S, but with a short 7-second period. The wind is howling offshore from the WSW at 12 mph, making it clean. The combined energy jumps to a strong 417. This is proper short-period windswell, but the offshore breeze will make it rampy and punchy. Good for intermediates, but the size might be a bit much for beginners. The afternoon stays clean with similar conditions.
Thursday morning the 27th is a treat before it goes bad. Glassy conditions with a 3ft SSE swell and a 9-second period. Get out early before the onshore wind ruins it by the afternoon.
Saturday the 28th has some clean morning waves with a 4ft SE swell (9s period) and a cross-offshore breeze. It’s a solid, clean option.
Then we hit the real standout. Sunday morning the 30th of August. This is the one. A 10ft SSE swell with a 9-second period and light offshore winds from the W at 6 mph. The combined swell energy is a massive 1300 – that’s pumping. This is expert territory only. The waves will be powerful and heavy, with a lot of water moving. Not for the faint-hearted. The afternoon goes cross-shore and drops to a still-large 8ft, but the quality is more marginal.
After that, it tails off into a long run of smaller, longer-period swell (up to 18 seconds on Monday the 31st) but with tricky cross or onshore winds. The energy is still moderate, but it won’t be clean. Tuesday and Wednesday of the first week of September are weak and not worth the hassle.
So there you have it. The winner is Sunday the 30th of August for the big-wave crew. For everyone else, Wednesday the 26th offers the best combo of size and offshore perfection.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
179 | 352 | 301 | 180 | 102 | 82 | 77 | 31 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 30 | 29 | 39 | 69 | 95 | 70 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:58PM1.10m | 12:47PM1.31m | 00:47AM0.98m | 1:44PM1.27m | 1:52AM0.88m | 2:52PM1.25m | 3:18AM0.85m | 4:02PM1.27m | 4:38AM0.87m | 5:01PM1.33m | 5:37AM0.93m | 5:49PM1.41m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:05AM0.33m | 7:16PM0.52m | 6:47AM0.41m | 8:32PM0.56m | 7:42AM0.48m | 9:55PM0.55m | 8:53AM0.51m | 11:06PM0.50m | 10:06AM0.50m | 11:56PM0.42m | 11:06AM0.45m | 00:36AM0.34m | |||||||
— | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 23 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | S 9 | S 10 | ENE 8 | NE 8 |
179 | 352 | 301 | 180 | 102 | 34 | 77 | 31 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 30 | 25 | 39 | 69 | 45 | 70 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | S 10 | S 8 | E 12 | E 11 | — | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 6 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | S 9 | S 11 |
111 | 29 | 22 | 11 | 9 | — | 19 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 27 | 23 | 33 | 62 | 55 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 15 | — | E 12 | — | S 14 | S 13 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 10 | SE 7 | ENE 9 | S 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 13 | E 6 | ESE 5 | SE 16 |
56 | 4 | — | 11 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NNE 5 | — | ENE 2 | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | — | SSW 5 | — | — | — | NE 8 | — |
— | — | — | 3 | 52 | 82 | 60 | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | — | 4 | — | — | — | 95 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 173 | 39 | 53 | 206 | 22 | 38 | 222 | 39 | 159 | 116 | 34 | 34 | 212 | 39 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
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.











