Saltwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. The first real chance at Saltwater comes Tuesday morning, September 15th. It’s been a couple of days of junky, onshore slop, but that morning the wind drops out to glass and there’s a bit of 4ft of weak, short-period NE swell. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary—you’ll be scratching for anything with a pulse. The energy is weak (165), so don’t expect much push. If you’re desperate, the morning session is the cleanest.

But the real headline, the one you’ll be telling your mates about, is Wednesday, September 16th. A serious south groundswell starts marching in. Wednesday morning is already hitting 10ft with a 9-second period, and the SSW wind is a fresh cross-offshore. The energy jumps to a strong 1347. By afternoon, it’s pushing 11ft and the wind is true offshore—clean, hollow, and dangerous. The energy climbs to 2152. This is not beginner water. 10ft plus is expert territory, and the power is relentless. This is a proper slab.

Thursday, September 17th, is the pick of the entire run. The swell holds at a solid 11ft from the south, and the SW wind is moderate and offshore all day long. The energy is massive—hitting 2419 in the morning and peaking at 3775 in the afternoon. It’s big, it’s clean, and it’s charging. The water temp is a bit cooler than normal for this time of year, but when it’s this good, you won’t feel it. This is a day for the experienced crew, no doubt.

Friday, September 18th, drops off to a much friendlier 5ft, and the morning is glassy with a light WSW breeze. The energy is moderate (676). A long, clean morning session on a dropping swell. The afternoon gets a little lumpy as the onshore wind fills in, but the morning is pure.

Saturday, September 19th, keeps the small but clean theme. The morning brings a 4ft ESE groundswell with a long 11-second period, and it’s glassy again. This long period is key—Saltwater’s a point, so it should handle it well. The energy is moderate (629). A fun, clean morning, but a far cry from the mid-week bomb.

After that, it dies. Sunday the 20th drops off quickly, and from the afternoon on, it’s a long, flat, and blown-out stretch. The 21st through the 25th is a blank run—swell drops to ankle-snappers, and the wind shifts onshore to make everything a mess. There’s a brief bump on the 22nd afternoon to 7ft, but it’s short-period and onshore, completely unsurfable. The next couple of weeks are a two-part story: a monster, expert-only swell mid-week, followed by a long, quiet, frustrating spell. If you’ve got the cojones, Thursday the 17th is the one. Otherwise, sit tight and wait for the next pulse.

Rusty.

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