Surf Forecasts:
Saltwater surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NE swell with 306 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 0.8m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Saltwater in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Saltwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Saltwater over the next couple of weeks.
The next few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We've got a slow start with nothing really worth paddling out for until Sunday morning. From there, things get interesting, but you'll need to pick your windows carefully.
The first real chance to get wet is Sunday the 23rd of August. The morning is looking glassy with a light rain, and a 3ft south swell, period 12 seconds, rolling in. The combined energy is moderate (238). That long period will help with shape, and with the glassy conditions, it'll be clean. The afternoon stays glassy, too, with a 3ft south swell, period 10 seconds (331 energy). It's not huge, but it's the best we've seen so far.
Monday morning the 24th has a bit of a pulse with a 3ft south swell, period 10 seconds (250 energy), and a light offshore wind from the NNE. It's a marginal call, but if you're keen, it could be worth a look. The afternoon turns ugly with a strong onshore breeze, so get out early.
We hit a bit of a lull again through Tuesday and Wednesday, with only a small window on Wednesday morning the 26th offering a 4ft swell from the ENE, period 7 seconds, and a light offshore wind. The energy is moderate (185), but the short period means it won't have much grunt.
Thursday the 27th is a standout. The morning has a 4ft south swell, period 7 seconds (285 energy), with a clean cross-offshore wind. The afternoon is even better with the same size swell, but a slightly longer 8-second period (353 energy). It's clean both sessions, and the consistency is decent. This is the pick of the first week.
The standout of the whole outlook has to be Monday the 31st of August. The morning is dead glassy, with a 3ft swell from the SSE, but the period is a very long 15 seconds (406 energy). That's proper groundswell energy. It's a point break at Saltwater, so it'll handle that long period beautifully. The crowd factor is "often," so expect company, but for clean, lined-up waves, this is the one.
Looking into the second week, Tuesday the 1st of September has a glassy morning with a 2ft SSE swell, 16-second period (282 energy). It's small but clean. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning has a tiny 1ft swell, but a massive 21-second period (324 energy), with a strong offshore wind. It's clean, but you'll be hunting for the rare set. Sunday the 6th of September afternoon sees a 6ft south swell, 8-second period (721 energy), with a gentle offshore wind. The combined energy is strong, and the offshore wind will groom it nicely. It's one for the experts, as it's over 5ft.
Water temperature is sitting at 66°, which is basically normal for this time of year. The anomaly is only -0.2°, so nothing unusual there.
So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is the glassy morning of Monday the 31st of August with that long-period groundswell, and the clean conditions on Thursday the 27th. Don't bother with the early days, just wait for those windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 6 | SSW 8 | S 12 | S 10 | SSE 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | S 7 | S 8 | ENE 8 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 24 | 180 | 192 | 189 | 168 | 128 | 108 | 68 | 278 | 183 | 146 | 96 | 89 | 154 | 208 | 108 | 127 | 169 | 108 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 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 | 8:11AM1.25m | 8:14PM1.60m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:56PM0.23m | 2:42AM0.07m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | ENE 6 | S 12 | S 10 | E 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 7 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
2 | 14 | 180 | 192 | 50 | 168 | 128 | 108 | 52 | 32 | 183 | 146 | 96 | 89 | 131 | 141 | 108 | 127 | 169 | 108 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 12 | E 6 | SSE 17 | ENE 9 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | S 10 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | — | S 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
2 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 189 | 51 | 30 | 17 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 15 | 9 | 10 | — | 4 | 108 | 76 | 75 | 80 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 16 | S 8 | SSE 18 | S 15 | S 18 | — | — | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | N 14 | — | — | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | S 12 | — |
2 | 2 | 31 | 87 | 68 | 31 | 5 | 24 | — | — | 47 | 24 | 21 | 4 | — | — | 21 | 31 | 76 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | — | SSE 5 | E 4 | E 6 | — | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | — | — | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | — | — | — | NE 3 |
24 | — | 49 | 23 | 86 | — | 57 | 89 | 68 | 278 | — | — | — | 38 | 154 | 208 | — | — | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 189 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 37 | 196 | 39 | 90 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 344 | 0 |
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.











