Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, ESE swell with 327 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what the ocean’s got in store for Saltwater over the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a slow start, but there’s a real gem hidden at the end.
The first stretch, from the 18th through the 24th, is a total dud. The swell is tiny and weak, with energy readings in the low double digits, like 46 or even 20. A couple of mornings, like the 18th and 19th, will have glassy conditions, but with waves only around 4ft, it’s just not worth the effort. It’s gonna be a long, flat week.
We get a little tease from the 25th to the 29th, but it’s still no good. The waves drop even more, down to a pathetic 1ft to 3ft. Even with some clean offshore winds, there’s just no power behind it. The energy is still weak, mostly under 150. You’re better off finding something else to do.
But then, everything changes. On Monday the 31st, the whole game flips. The afternoon brings dead calm, glassy conditions and a solid 6ft south swell with a 10-second period. The energy jumps to a strong 693. This is it. It’s going to be clean, it’s got some push, and that south direction is perfect for this point. This is your window.
And just when you think it can’t get any better, the 1st of September unloads. We’re looking at a serious 10ft of south swell with a long 11-second period. This is a big groundswell, with energy readings over 1800. This is strictly for the experts, far too big for the average surfer. The morning offshore wind will keep it as clean as it gets.
Wednesday the 2nd keeps the fire burning. We’ve still got light offshore winds and a powerful, clean swell running at 7ft to 8ft from the south-southeast. The energy stays strong, over 1000. It’s a full-on, proper run of waves for the crew that’s ready for it.
So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a complete bust. But from Monday the 31st through Wednesday the 2nd, Saltwater is going to be firing. Mark it on your calendar, this is the one.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | S 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 13 | S 10 | NE 7 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 187 | 213 | 179 | 327 | 258 | 180 | 119 | 82 | 156 | 31 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 30 | 96 | 57 | 72 | 69 | 93 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:59AM1.35m | 11:58PM1.10m | 12:47PM1.31m | 00:47AM0.98m | 1:44PM1.27m | 1:52AM0.88m | 2:52PM1.25m | 3:18AM0.85m | 4:02PM1.27m | 4:38AM0.87m | 5:01PM1.33m | 5:37AM0.93m | 5:49PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:13PM0.44m | 6:05AM0.33m | 7:16PM0.52m | 6:47AM0.41m | 8:32PM0.56m | 7:42AM0.48m | 9:55PM0.55m | 8:53AM0.51m | 11:06PM0.50m | 10:06AM0.50m | 11:56PM0.42m | 11:06AM0.45m | 00:36AM0.34m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | S 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 7 |
| kJ | 187 | 58 | 179 | 327 | 258 | 180 | 119 | 82 | 107 | 31 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 72 | 69 | 93 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | S 10 | S 8 | E 12 | E 11 | E 10 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSW 4 | SE 7 | S 9 | SSW 7 | S 9 | SSW 9 | ENE 7 | SSE 16 | S 10 |
| kJ | 33 | 69 | 111 | 29 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 27 | 26 | 32 | 27 | 48 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | E 9 | S 11 | S 15 | — | E 12 | NE 8 | — | SE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 7 | S 6 | ENE 9 | S 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 13 | — | — | SSE 16 |
| kJ | 25 | 6 | 56 | 4 | — | 11 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 96 | 57 | — | — | 24 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 8 | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 3 | NE 4 | NE 6 | — | — | SW 2 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | NE 7 | — |
| kJ | — | 213 | — | — | — | 12 | 3 | 21 | 156 | — | — | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 67 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 39 | 53 | 206 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 39 | 159 | 628 | 34 | 19 | 173 | 39 | 56 | 206 | 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)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Saltwater surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest