Southerly pulses under persistent offshore winds

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Guy Dixon (Guy Dixon)

Eastern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Guy Dixon (issued Wednesday 30th March)

Best Days: Friday and Sunday

Recap: 

A small southerly swell was in the water on Tuesday, with clean options in the 2ft range throughout the morning under a northwesterly breeze. This energy has faded to the 1-2ft range today, although offshore breezes persisted for much longer keeping conditions clean.

This week (Thursday 31st - Friday 1st) and weekend (Saturday 2nd - Sunday 3rd):

A Tasman low has been developing off the coast of NSW today, with weak northeasterly breezes circulating the southeasterly flanks. Although this fetch is fairly small, weak and brief, open beaches may gain around 1-2ft off this system, peaking Thursday, easing into Friday.

A more substantial southerly groundswell is due to peak on Friday morning across the exposed south facing beaches and magnets, generated by a polar low located to the southwest of WA earlier in the week. Sets are likely to be particularly inconsistent due to the long range nature, however should still provide options in the 2ft to occasionally 3ft range.

A southwesterly change is then due to move over the region on Saturday morning, although due to the westerly component, short range swell generation is likely to be limited.

A second pulse of southerly groundswell associated with the stronger, broader core fetches at the base of this change should fill in on Sunday, building to the 3ft range by the middle of the day.

Conditions look to remain clean virtually all day until Saturday under a persistent northwesterly airflow, before tending southwesterly following the change. Even then, selected spots, namely open beaches will remain workable day of the weekend.

Next week (Monday 4th onward):

Frontal progressions look frequent throughout the early stages of next week, although not particularly strong or well aligned. As a result, we should see the surf ebb and pulse between 1-2ft across south facing beaches.

Similar to the days prior, breezes look to remain generally northwesterly tending southwesterly as frontal activity moves over the region. Conditions should remain generally clean at most spots each day.