Saltwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.01° S 152.57° E

Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Saltwater sea temperature is
18.8° C
0.1° 

Saltwater surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Saltwater surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, SSE swell with 394 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 12s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 4PM. 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Sun 23rd Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 12s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 26th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 7s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sun 23rd Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Righto, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ at Saltwater over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a bit of a slow burn. The first week or so is pretty average, with a lot of lumpy, onshore slop. The water temp is sitting right on the money for this time of year at 66°, so no surprises there.

The window kicks off on Friday, the 21st of August, but it’s nothing to write home about. We’ve got a tiny 2ft east-northeast windswell with a weak, short period of 6 seconds and a combined energy of only 42. The wind is a cross-onshore breeze, so it’s pretty messy. Saturday looks even smaller, with a glassy start but only 2ft on offer, and the wind swings around to ruin it in the arvo.

Sunday the 23rd is where we finally see a glimmer. The morning is glassy calm, and a new S swell rolls in at 2ft but with a lovely 12-second period, giving it a combined energy of 157. It’s a bit weak, but those clean conditions mean there’s a fun little wave for the beginners. The arvo gets a bit bumpy.

Honestly, the rest of the first week is a write-off. We get a burst of 6ft on Tuesday the 25th, but it’s a short-period 6-second windswell with 25km/h onshore winds – that’s just a wall of whitewater. Not worth paddling out for.

The real standout, and the one to circle in your calendar, is Monday the 31st of August. The morning session is absolute magic. We’ve got 3ft of swell, but it’s a groundswell coming from the south-southeast with a *very long* 18-second period. The combined energy is a solid 668, meaning there’s proper power in the water. Even better, the wind is glassy and the sun is out. This is a point break, so that long-period energy will wrap in beautifully and offer up some clean, lined-up waves. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so it’ll be a great session for everyone. The arvo gets ruined by the onshore wind, so get it in the morning.

There’s a small, promising window on the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September as well, with another 3ft S swell, 11-second period, and glassy conditions.

Then, after a bit of a lull, the last highlight is on Saturday the 5th of September. The morning is glassy again with a 5ft SSE swell, a 10-second period, and combined energy of 385. That’s a solid, clean day. The arvo gets a bit of a strong offshore wind, which will hold the waves up nicely but might be a bit tricky for the beginners.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a dud. The absolute best session on offer is the morning of Monday the 31st of August. The secondary pick would be the morning of Saturday the 5th of September. Don’t get too excited about anything else.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
ENE
6
0.6
ENE
6
0.6
ENE
6
0.5
NE
6
0.4
ENE
6
0.7
S
12
1.4
SSE
10
0.8
SSE
12
1
S
11
0.9
S
10
0.7
S
10
1
NE
9
1.8
NE
6
1.4
NE
7
1.1
ENE
7
1.1
ENE
7
1
ENE
8
1.1
ENE
8
1.1
ENE
8
1
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
32
23
25
18
14
139
394
186
220
172
98
155
231
194
127
134
119
160
160
131
Wind (km/h)
10
E
5
WSW
5
NW
10
ENE
5
SW
0
SW
10
E
10
NNE
10
NNE
25
ENE
10
N
15
NNE
25
NE
5
WSW
5
SW
15
S
15
S
5
SSE
10
SE
5
NNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
High Tide
3:18AM0.85m
4:02PM1.27m
4:38AM0.87m
5:01PM1.33m
5:37AM0.93m
5:49PM1.41m
6:22AM1.01m
6:30PM1.49m
7:01AM1.09m
7:06PM1.55m
7:37AM1.17m
7:40PM1.59m
Low Tide
9:55PM0.55m
8:53AM0.51m
11:06PM0.50m
10:06AM0.50m
11:56PM0.42m
11:06AM0.45m
00:36AM0.34m
11:55AM0.38m
1:11AM0.25m
12:37PM0.32m
1:42AM0.18m
1:17PM0.27m
2:13AM0.11m
cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
light rain
light rain
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:18
6:16
6:16
6:15
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:24
5:25
5:27
5:27
5:28
5:28
5:29
 mm
1
2
2
1
2
Temp °C
18
16
19
18
16
16
17
17
20
18
16
24
21
18
18
17
16
17
17
15
Feels °C
16
16
18
17
16
16
15
15
17
15
15
20
17
17
18
15
15
15
15
14
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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