Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cooking at Saltwater.

The coming week has a slow start with small, ordinary waves, but it builds into a solid run of surf from Monday the 7th right through to the weekend. The standout window looks to be Tuesday the 8th morning and then Friday the 11th morning, when conditions align for some proper sessions. There’s a gap after the 15th with no good options for a few days.

Saltwater is a point break, exposed to the swell and best with an optimum direction from the SE. The water temp is 65°F, which is about 1°F colder than average for this time of year, so pretty standard – no surprises there.

Let’s break it down day by day.

Thursday 3rd September afternoon: Small clean lines with a 2 ft swell from the S, period 10 seconds, and a light offshore SW wind. It’s surfable but very ordinary – combined energy is weak (83). Not one to get excited about.

Friday 4th September morning: Glassy conditions with a light SSW breeze and a 3 ft S swell. Period drops to 7 seconds though, so the waves will be a bit weak and disorganised. Combined energy is still low (105). Surfable but nothing special.

Friday afternoon: The swell bumps up to 4 ft from the S, period 11 seconds, and energy jumps to moderate (435), but the cross-onshore E wind at 6 mph puts a chop on it. Poor conditions.

Saturday 5th September: Small swell around 2-2 ft, poor wind, and the combined energy stays moderate (141-197). Not worth paddling out.

Sunday 6th September morning: Clean with a moderate offshore SW breeze, but the swell is only 2 ft from the SSW with a short 7-second period and weak energy (89). Very ordinary.

Sunday afternoon: Swell picks up to 5 ft from the S, period 8 seconds, and energy is moderate (236). The cross-off SSE wind keeps it clean, but the score says it’s marginal.

Monday 7th September morning – now we’re talking: Glassy conditions with a NNE breeze, 4 ft swell from the S at 10 seconds, and combined energy of 312 (moderate). This is the first proper clean session of the forecast. Good surf conditions for all levels.

Monday afternoon: The wind swings ENE cross-onshore and chops it up. Poor.

Tuesday 8th September morning – best on offer: A clean 7 ft swell from the SSE, period 8 seconds, with a cross-off S breeze. Combined energy hits 544 (moderate-strong). This is the standout of the first week – solid, powerful, and clean. It’s pushing into expert territory at over 8 ft, so this is for experienced surfers only. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Tuesday afternoon: Still clean with a 6 ft SSE swell, period 8 seconds, and energy 470. Good surf, but the morning is the pick.

Wednesday 9th September: Drops back to 3 ft, clean but ordinary. The afternoon brings a fresh offshore SSW wind at 19 mph, but the waves are small and blown out.

Thursday 10th September: A big jump in energy – 1164 in the morning with a 7 ft S swell, period 9 seconds, but the score says it’s marginal. The afternoon sees a very long period 22-second swell from the SSE at 3 ft, with energy through the roof at 2461. That’s a very long-period groundswell – it’ll be straight and fast at this beach-and-reef setup, better suited to the point. Not ideal for paddle surfing, but interesting.

Friday 11th September morning – absolute standout: Excellent conditions with a 7 ft SSE swell, period 12 seconds, light offshore SW wind, and combined energy of 1283 (strong). This is the best session of the entire outlook – big, clean, powerful, and well-shaped. This is for experts only. Crowds will be likely.

Friday afternoon: Still a solid 7 ft SSE swell, but the cross-off wind and marginal score mean it’s not as clean.

Saturday 12th September: Drops to 5 ft in the morning, clean but ordinary. The afternoon sees a 4 ft S swell, period 11 seconds, with good conditions.

Sunday 13th September morning: Glassy with a 2 ft SSE swell, but the period is a very long 17 seconds – combined energy 347 (moderate). The waves will be clean but weak and setty.

From Monday 14th September through to the 18th, the forecast is poor – onshore winds, small swell, or messy conditions. There’s a gap of several days with no recommendations after the 15th. A few marginal windows pop up on the 17th afternoon and 18th morning, but nothing to write home about.

In short: Tuesday morning the 8th and Friday morning the 11th are your best bets. The 11th is the real gem – big, clean, and powerful. Keep an eye on that one.

Rusty.

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