
Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, SSE swell with 953 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period with SSE 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 01) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.7m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Saltwater. It’s a point break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the swell, with an optimum direction from the southeast. The water temp is sitting at 66°F, which is basically normal for this time of year—nothing weird going on there.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid Saturday morning, August 1st. The swell is coming in from the SSE at 6 ft with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid moderate 568. The wind is light southwest, glassy. That’s clean, fun surf for a point break. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore breeze, so the morning is the clear winner here.
Sunday morning, August 2nd, is the standout of the first week. It’s glassy, with a north wind at 3 mph, and the swell is still 5 ft from the SSE. The energy jumps up to 731 (moderate-strong), and the conditions are perfect. This is the session to circle. The afternoon sees a bigger swell at 6 ft but the period stretches to 12 seconds—a long-period groundswell that’s going to line up nicely on this point, but the wind shifts cross-onshore and ruins the surface. So stick to the morning.
Monday the 3rd drops off a bit—swell down to 4 ft with a period of 10 seconds. The morning has a light cross-onshore wind, making it a bit bumpy. Not terrible, but not the best.
Then we hit a rough patch. From Tuesday morning, August 4th, through Thursday morning, August 6th, the swell is tiny—1 ft to 3 ft—and the energy is weak (values like 43 and 139). The wind is good (glassy or clean at times), but there’s just not enough wave to push you around. This is a gap of a few days where you’re better off checking the wind for a kite session if you’re into that.
Friday morning, August 7th, things perk up again. The swell is back to 5 ft from the south with a 9-second period, moderate energy of 440, and glassy conditions. That’s a good, clean morning session. Saturday morning, August 8th, is similar—4 ft from the south, glassy, with energy at 210. Not huge, but it’ll be fun.
The second week gets interesting. The real standout is Thursday, August 13th. The morning is already big at 10 ft from the SE with a period of 8 seconds, but the afternoon is where it’s at: 12 ft from the SSE, period 9 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 2267 (very strong). The wind is offshore from the SSW at 16 mph, keeping it clean. This is expert territory—over 8 ft is for experienced surfers only. The point should handle it well, but that’s a lot of water moving.
Then Friday and Saturday, August 14th and 15th, hold solid size—7 ft to 10 ft—with offshore winds. The energy stays high (over 1000). Sunday, August 16th, is the biggest of the run: 12 ft from the ENE with a period of 11 seconds, energy at 2855—that’s very strong. The wind is offshore, but it’s a fresh breeze at 19 mph, so it’ll be a battle. This is for the big-wave crew only.
The best of the entire forecast? Sunday morning, August 2nd, with that glassy, 5 ft clean SSE swell. And then Thursday afternoon, August 13th, for the experienced surfers wanting a big, powerful, offshore session. The crowds at Saltwater can be an issue, so get there early.
That’s the look. Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
563 | 487 | 308 | 500 | 918 | 650 | 341 | 246 | 151 | 25 | 17 | 51 | 41 | 38 | 274 | 129 | 167 | 274 | 427 | 422 | 311 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:50PM1.57m | 10:31AM1.24m | 10:25PM1.50m | 11:12AM1.27m | 11:03PM1.40m | 11:57AM1.30m | 11:48PM1.28m | 12:48PM1.33m | 00:44AM1.16m | 1:48PM1.36m | 1:55AM1.05m | 2:57PM1.41m | 3:21AM0.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:31PM0.30m | 4:25AM0.10m | 4:12PM0.33m | 4:57AM0.11m | 4:59PM0.37m | 5:33AM0.14m | 5:52PM0.42m | 6:14AM0.19m | 6:57PM0.46m | 7:02AM0.25m | 8:16PM0.46m | 8:02AM0.31m | 9:43PM0.42m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | S 5 | E 10 | S 6 | E 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 |
563 | 487 | 308 | 500 | 918 | 650 | 341 | 246 | 151 | 18 | 13 | 51 | 40 | 37 | 274 | 129 | 167 | 274 | 427 | 422 | 311 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 6 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ENE 8 | S 21 | S 21 | S 20 | S 19 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 9 | S 9 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
2 | 2 | 164 | 228 | 6 | 36 | 35 | 8 | 29 | 25 | 17 | 7 | 41 | 7 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | E 18 | NE 8 | E 17 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 15 | E 15 | NNE 4 | SSE 10 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 18 | E 18 | E 8 | E 8 | E 11 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 |
3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | NNE 3 | NE 3 | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | 2 | 39 | 30 | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 39 | 39 | 56 | 0 | 34 | 173 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 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.











