Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows that are going to be genuinely worth your time. Right now, the surf is small and a bit jumbled, but things will clean up and get properly exciting later on. We’ll see a real pulse of energy arrive in the second week, so keep your schedule flexible.

Friday afternoon sees the start of things. Saltwater (South West) will be pulling in a clean 5.2ft of south swell, pushing through at 9 seconds. It’s an exposed point, so it’s got that trade-off, but the light cross-off breeze will keep the surface tidy. The water’s sitting at 65.7°, which is right on the money for this time of year, no real surprises there. It’s a decent little wave to get back into it, but nothing to write home about just yet.

Saturday morning drops a touch to 3.9ft from the SSE, still clean but with less push. That swell period shortens to 7 seconds, so it’s a bit weaker and more on the fat side. It’ll be okay, but the tide might make it a bit soft. Afternoon sees a slight bump to 4.6ft, but with the period still at 9 seconds and a bit of light rain around, it’s not a standout. The energy is moderate at 406, so there’s a bit of life, but it’s ordinary.

Sunday’s looking at a slight uplift in size, with the morning at 5.2ft and the afternoon at 5.6ft from the SSE. The period is short though, only 7 seconds, which makes it bouncy and less organized. There’s a moderate energy reading (420-469) but the short interval makes it more chop than power. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.

Monday turns messy. The wind swings cross-shore and the swell drops in energy, with only 4.3ft to 4.6ft of weak, short-period ESE swell. The wave comment says it’s marginal, and I’d agree. You’re better off doing something else on Monday.

Tuesday’s a little better. The morning has 4.6ft from the SE, a light cross-off breeze, and clean conditions. The period is still short at 7 seconds, but it’s a step in the right direction. The afternoon goes a bit wobbly again with the cross-shore wind.

Now, here’s where it starts to get interesting. Wednesday morning the wind goes properly offshore, light from the southwest, and the swell period jumps to 10 seconds. That’s a deeper water swell, and while the size is only 4.6ft, the quality will be way up. This is the kind of clean, lined-up point surf that Saltwater can do. The energy is moderate at 476, but the longer period makes it feel more substantial. This is a good morning.

Thursday morning brings the first real lull. The swell drops to 3.3ft with a short 7-second period, but it’s glassy as anything. There are waves, but they’re weak and perhaps a bit lackluster. The afternoon gets even smaller and the wind turns onshore, so that’s a write-off.

Friday and Saturday of that week are poor. The swell drops right out – we’re talking 2.6ft down to 2.0ft of weak, short-period ENE windswell. The energy readings are in the double digits, which tells you it’s pretty much flat. The wind is cross-off or offshore, but there’s just nothing to surf. This stretch is a real dead zone, spanning a few days of nothing on offer.

Then it switches on. Sunday the 23rd, we see the energy really pick up. The morning is a touch raw, 6.2ft from the south with an 11-second period, but the wind is a light cross-off. The afternoon is cleaner, 5.6ft at 10 seconds, with the energy reading at 623. This is a very good session, the first real standout. The point will have some proper lines running down it, and the wind will have it glassing off nicely.

Monday the 24th is a bit of a drop-off by comparison, but still okay. The morning is 3.9ft at 9 seconds with clean conditions,

Read more