South Australian Surf Forecast (issued Mon 21st Apr)

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Craig started the topic in Monday, 21 Apr 2014 at 1:07pm

South Australian Forecast (issued Monday 21st April)

Best Days: Wednesday, Friday, early Saturday, Sunday

Recap

Saturday was pretty much pumping everywhere with a peak in large W/SW groundswell to 2-3ft on the Mid Coast and either side of 6ft down South with light variable winds that tended locally offshore.

The swell dropped into Sunday but the Mid continued to offer clean 2ft waves, with an easing 4-5ft of swell down South under light offshores.

Today we're back to a smaller 3ft of swell at Middleton with bigger 4-5ft sets out at Waits under strengthening offshores, while the Mid Coast was average and in the 1-1.5ft range with the strengthening cross-shore breeze. A reinforcing SW groundswell should boost wave heights slightly into this afternoon but winds will swing more W/NW ahead of a late change.

This week (Apr 21 - 25)

This afternoon's increase in long-range SW groundswell is expected to peak overnight and ease slowly tomorrow, but winds will be poor and onshore in the wake of tonight's change.

Therefore give your arms a rest tomorrow and aim for a paddle Wednesday across the South Coast with a new SW groundswell should slowly fill in as winds increase from the NW ahead of a swing to the W/NW into the afternoon. This groundswell has and is still being generated by a flurry of strong but unconsolidated frontal activity through the Southern Ocean, with Middleton expected to persist in the 3ft+ range with 3-5ft sets out at Waits but protected locations will offer the best waves.

Thursday will unfortunately be another lay day as a strong S'ly change moves through, but the front linked to this change will bring with it some new S/SW swell Thursday afternoon. Friday looks great though as the swell eases from 3-5ft across most breaks, with Waits seeing 4-5ft surf under fresh and gusty N/NE tending N/NW winds.

This weekend onwards (Apr 26 onwards)

One final pulse of decent sized S/SW groundswell is due over the weekend and after this we'll enter a short period of subdued swell activity.

The weekend's swell should arrive later Saturday and peak Sunday to 3-4ft+ at Middleton, and 4-5ft at Waits and Parsons under E/NE winds. The Mid Coast isn't expected to see such size above 1ft. Coming back to Saturday though, and Friday's swell will continue to ease into the morning as variable winds create workable conditions ahead of a shallow S/SE change.

Longer term we may see some better swell later next week/weekend but we'll have another look at this on Wednesday.