
Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, S swell with 1,732 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.2m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 22s is also forecast. 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, mates, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what the ocean’s got cookin’ for us.
The next week and a half is a real mixed bag, with a few windows of clean conditions but plenty of flat spells and messy onshore junk to sit through. The first good news doesn’t pop up until Wednesday morning the 9th, so there’s a bit of a wait.
Wednesday morning the 9th kicks things off nicely down at Saltwater. It’s a point break, exposed to the swell with that beginner-friendly setup. We’ve got a clean 5 ft of swell coming out of the SSE with a period of 9 seconds, offering a moderate kick of energy (340). The wind is glass—dead calm from the NW—so it’s gonna be slick and inviting. Water temp is sitting at 66°F, pretty normal for this time of year. The tide might be a factor, and the gut feeling is that this is a good, if not standout, start to the session. The afternoon goes south with a strong S wind picking up, so get it while it’s glassy.
Thursday the 10th is a no-go. The swell jumps to a solid 8 ft from the south, but that cross-off wind and questionable tide make it messy and hard to manage. The energy is massive—over 1500—but it’s not going to be clean. Save your energy.
Friday the 11th is a redemption day. We’ve got a solid 7 ft SSE groundswell (10-second period, moderate energy at 783) with light offshore winds from the SSW in the morning. That’s clean, shaping up well for a point like Saltwater. The afternoon holds up with a 6 ft SSE swell and a cross-off breeze. This is the best bet of the early run—the energy is there, the wind is right, and the consistency is decent. Not a huge standout, but a solid day.
Saturday the 12th starts glassy with a clean 5 ft SSE swell and a 10-second period. The energy is moderate (495), and the morning is a dream with zero wind. The afternoon, though, turns into a messy cross-on shore, so it’s a morning mission only.
From Sunday the 13th right through to Wednesday the 16th, it’s a rough patch. We’re looking at onshore winds, dropping swell heights, and generally poor conditions. There’s a small spike on Wednesday the 16th with a 6 ft SSE swell, but it’s got a cross-on wind and marginal tide issues. Not worth paddling out for.
Thursday the 17th through Saturday the 19th is a flat spell. Swell drops to under 3 ft, and while we get some glassy mornings on the 17th and 18th, the wave size is just too small for a decent ride. Things are ordinary.
Now, here’s the real stand-out: Thursday the 24th of September. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Saltwater gets a clean 8 ft S swell with an 11-second period, delivering a massive energy level of 1345. The morning is glassy—dead calm from the NE—so the waves will be clean and powerful. That 8 ft mark puts it in the expert-only category, so if you’re not confident, watch from the beach. This is a true standout, a big, clean groundswell with ideal conditions.
The few days before that, Sunday the 20th offers a promising 4 ft S swell with glassy conditions in the morning, but it’s not quite in the same league. The energy is moderate (579). And the final week has a few smaller, marginal days, but nothing that’ll get your heart pumping like that 24th.
So, to sum it up: head out Wednesday the 9th and Friday the 11th for solid, clean sessions. The big one is Thursday the 24th, so be ready for that. The rest is mostly a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SSE 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | E 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
328 | 268 | 1320 | 1402 | 1153 | 1360 | 772 | 591 | 367 | 356 | 510 | 245 | 194 | 158 | 150 | 132 | 119 | 80 | 48 | 85 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 6:46PM1.67m | 7:24AM1.30m | 7:30PM1.67m | 8:04AM1.39m | 8:11PM1.62m | 8:41AM1.46m | 8:50PM1.52m | 9:18AM1.50m | 9:28PM1.40m | 9:54AM1.50m | 10:06PM1.27m | 10:30AM1.47m | 10:44PM1.14m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:21PM0.23m | 1:22AM0.03m | 1:11PM0.17m | 1:58AM0.01m | 1:58PM0.14m | 2:32AM0.02m | 2:43PM0.13m | 3:04AM0.07m | 3:26PM0.16m | 3:35AM0.13m | 4:09PM0.22m | 4:05AM0.21m | 4:54PM0.30m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 12 | S 11 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 |
328 | 17 | 81 | 48 | 882 | 884 | 772 | 591 | 367 | 356 | 510 | 245 | 194 | 158 | 150 | 132 | 119 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 18 | SSE 23 | SSE 23 | SSE 18 | E 9 | E 13 | E 14 | SSE 19 | SSE 18 | SSE 20 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | S 10 | S 10 | E 5 | S 9 |
8 | 8 | 31 | 105 | 173 | 190 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 123 | 190 | 140 | 107 | 51 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 80 | 48 | 2 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 17 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 15 | E 10 | E 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 12 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 |
4 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 3 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | NNE 5 | — | S 9 | SSE 6 |
— | 268 | 1320 | 1402 | 1153 | 1360 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 17 | 19 | 10 | 34 | 74 | — | 85 | 84 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 600 | 309 | 116 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 39 | 68 | 388 | 39 | 37 | 304 | 22 | 34 | 383 | 191 |
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.










