South Australian Forecast (issued Wednesday 20th May)

Best Days: Thursday on the Mid for beginners, Saturday morning down South, Sunday down South, Monday morning exposed breaks down South

Recap

Real fun day of surf across the South Coast with a kick in new S/SW groundswell with offshore winds that strengthened into the afternoon while swinging more N/NW. Exposed breaks were the standout, while the Mid Coast saw a tiny and weak N/NW windswell building through the afternoon.

Today a strong onshore change moved through bringing poor conditions to the South Coast with a larger building SW groundswell, while the Mid Coast saw an increase in size to 1-1.5ft but with average conditions.

This week and weekend (May 21 - 24)

Tomorrow and Friday will continue to be poor across the South Coast, and we've got another larger pulse of S/SW groundswell on the way for Friday which will unfortunately be spoilt.

Today's SW groundswell should ease back through tomorrow but a junky windswell will be in the mix along with fresh and gusty S'ly winds. The Mid Coast will be clean but easing from a tiny 1ft.

Friday's strong S/SW groundswell is currently being produced by a vigorous polar low to the south-southwest of the state, aiming a fetch of severe-gale to sub-storm-force W/SW winds towards Victoria.

This should come in Friday and peak to 4-6ft at Middleton and 5-6ft+ at Waits with 1ft sets on the Mid with fresh SE winds. This will continue to create poor conditions down South with great conditions for beginners on the Mid.

The weekend will be much better as the S/SW groundswell slowly eases and winds improve.

Saturday will still be peaky and not totally straight with a morning offshore NE wind and easing 3-5ft waves at Middleton and 4-6ft sets at Waits. The afternoon will become bumpy as winds tend E/SE.

Sunday will be the cleanest and straightest under offshore N/NE winds as the swell continues to ease from 3ft at Middleton and 3-5ft at Waits and Parsons. E/NE winds into the afternoon, should keep conditions relatively clean all day.

Next week onwards (May 25 onwards)

The swell will continue to back off Monday and become tiny Tuesday, with exposed beaches on the South Coast the go under persistent N/NE winds, strengthening through Tuesday.

A new long-range W/SW groundswell is due to arrive later Tuesday and peak Wednesday, generated by a long-lived but not especially strong frontal progression pushing through the southern Indian Ocean.

Middleton should build to an infrequent 3ft on the sets at Middleton and 4ft+ at Waits and Parsons with 1-1.5ft sets on the Mid. Winds will however swing from the N/NW around to the NW, favouring the South Coast.

Longer term a bigger swell is on the cards for later in the week, but we'll look at this closer on Friday.