
Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, E swell with 1,909 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period with S 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 (Jul 15) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about Saltwater. This is a point break, exposed to the swell, and it’s a fairly consistent setup. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much average for this time of year – nothing weird going on there.
The first half of this outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a real standout waiting for you in the second week. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t write it off.
For the first few days, we’re dealing with a solid but messy pulse. Wednesday the 15th kicks off with a morning session of 5ft SSW swell at 7 seconds, but it’s a bit on the weaker side with combined energy at 213. The wind is offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the short period means the waves are a bit fat and lumpy. By the afternoon, the swell jumps up to 8ft from the S, and the energy climbs to 977, but it’s a cross-off wind. That’s a lot of water moving around, and at 8ft, it’s getting into expert-only territory. Thursday morning, the 16th, drops a bit to 7ft from the SSE, with energy at 507, but the wind is still cross-off. It’s clean, but the period is still short. Friday and Saturday are similar – surf in the 5ft to 6ft range, but the wind is always cross-off, never that clean, glassy feel you really want.
Now, Sunday the 19th is where it gets interesting, but not in a good way for paddle surfing. The swell hits 10ft from the E with a long 10-second period, and the energy is massive at 3616. That’s a lot of power. But the wind is cross-shore and there’s a cross-chop. For a point break, that’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The next few days, Monday and Tuesday, are still carrying a solid E swell, but the wind is cross-on, which is going to wreck the face.
Here’s the standout. Look at Tuesday the 21st. The morning is *glass*. Wind is from the NW at 3 mph, the swell is 5ft from the E, but the period is a nice 10 seconds. The energy is 586, which is moderate. That’s clean, lined-up waves. The wind is offshore for the direction, so the point will be working. This is the best on offer in the first week. Wednesday the 22nd is also glassy in the morning, with a smaller 4ft ENE swell, but the energy drops to 281. It’s surfable, but not a standout.
From the 23rd to the 25th, the swell drops right off. We’re talking 2ft to 3ft. It’s clean, but it’s not worth paddling out for. There’s a gap of a few days with no real recommendations.
Now, hold on for the second week. Sunday the 26th is a proper pulse. The swell jumps to 8ft from the S, with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy is 2173. That’s strong. The wind is a light offshore at 3 mph in the morning, so it’s going to be clean. This is an excellent call for experienced surfers. The S direction is almost optimum for this spot. The following Monday the 27th, the swell drops to 6ft, but the period extends to 12 seconds, and the energy is still good at 843. The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean. The afternoon of the 27th is even better, with a 5ft S swell at 13 seconds, energy at 1228, and clean wind. That’s a long period groundswell, so it’ll have that nice push and the sets will be well-spaced. Tuesday the 28th is another good one, with offshore winds and a solid 5ft to 6ft S swell. The period is 11 seconds, so it’s holding that energy at 685 and 789. That’s a great run of days.
So, if you want the best of the best, point your board at the 21st of July for the glassy, clean E swell, or the 26th and 27th for the proper S groundswell with offshore winds. The 26th is a bit bigger, so it’s for the crew who know what they’re doing. The 27th afternoon is a perfect balance of power and clean conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
186 | 977 | 742 | 495 | 387 | 194 | 217 | 223 | 266 | 427 | 575 | 1175 | 1909 | 1384 | 1066 | 882 | 722 | 569 | 500 | 468 | 342 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 8:54PM1.89m | 9:36AM1.18m | 9:41PM1.83m | 10:24AM1.21m | 10:25PM1.71m | 11:12AM1.23m | 11:09PM1.55m | 12:01PM1.25m | 11:53PM1.37m | 12:52PM1.27m | 00:38AM1.20m | 1:45PM1.27m | 1:30AM1.05m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:18PM0.15m | 3:42AM-0.05m | 3:09PM0.17m | 4:25AM-0.03m | 4:00PM0.22m | 5:07AM0.03m | 4:52PM0.30m | 5:46AM0.10m | 5:47PM0.39m | 6:25AM0.18m | 6:48PM0.48m | 7:04AM0.26m | 7:57PM0.55m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | |
mm | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | — | — | S 15 | S 18 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 |
25 | — | — | 5 | 27 | 157 | 74 | 49 | 266 | 427 | 575 | 1175 | 1591 | 1384 | 1066 | 882 | 722 | 569 | 500 | 468 | 342 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | — | — | S 19 | — | E 8 | SSE 18 | SSE 15 | S 8 | SSE 21 | SSE 20 | SSE 19 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 10 |
2 | — | — | 7 | — | 35 | 61 | 23 | 21 | 43 | 38 | 72 | 104 | 107 | 103 | 112 | 141 | 134 | 82 | 58 | 33 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 18 | SSW 12 | S 15 | SSE 11 | — | S 20 | S 18 | SE 18 | S 13 | S 8 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 14 | S 15 | S 14 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 61 | 26 | 40 | 24 | — | 68 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 16 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 |
186 | 977 | 742 | 495 | 387 | 194 | 217 | 223 | 41 | 77 | 117 | 160 | 1909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 221 | 116 | 0 | 416 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 0 | 169 | 169 | 221 | 236 | 236 | 48 | 98 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 22 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










