Great period for the South Coast

Craig Brokensha picture
Craig Brokensha (Craig)

South Australian Forecast (issued Wednesday 1st Jul)

Best Days: Friday through Tuesday down South, Tuesday on the Mid

Recap

Great waves down across the South Coast with a slight drop in swell but still solid 3-4ft sets across Middleton with Waits and Parsons on the too large size. Winds were light offshore before a weak onshore developed into the afternoon. The Mid was tiny and clean creating fun peelers for beginners.

A new SW groundswell pulse this morning has kept 3-4ft sets hitting Middleton under offshore winds. The swell should ease a touch this afternoon under strengthening NW tending W/NW winds.

This week and weekend (Jul 2 – Jul 5)

Tomorrow will be a write-off with a strong onshore S/SW change due just before dawn, easing and tending more S/SE into the afternoon.

The frontal system linked to this change is quite strong, with a fetch of gale to severe-gale SW winds being aimed through our swell window to our south-southwest today and further into tomorrow, followed by an elongated fetch of S/SW gales stretching down to the polar shelf.

A large S/SW groundswell will result, building through tomorrow and peaking into the afternoon, with a secondary moderate sized S/SW groundswell pulse due to keep wave heights up Friday.

Conditions will improve considerably Friday and remain good all day as a ridge of high pressure moves in quickly from the west, with N/NE tending NW winds due.

Middleton should offer good 3-5ft sets most of the day, with easy 6ft bombs at Waits and Parsons and tiny 1ft peelers on the Mid.

Saturday morning is expected to still be solid and likely too big for Waits and Parsons but super clean with N/NE tending variable winds. The afternoon will be more manageable. Middleton should ease from 3ft+ with easing 5ft surf at Waits and Parsons.

Into Sunday a strong new pulse of moderate-large S/SW groundswell is due down South.

This swell will start to be created today, by a strong polar low firing up south-west of WA today before pushing slowly east and then north-east towards Tassie while continuing to generate a fetch of gale to sometimes severe-gale W/SW winds.

A good S/SW groundswell should result, peaking Sunday morning to 4-6ft across the Middleton stretch with 6-8ft sets at Waits and Parsons but only tiny 1ft waves on the Mid due to the southerly swell direction. Fresh N/NW winds will keep the surf clean all day.

Next week onwards (Jul 6 onwards)

Sunday's swell will ease back through Monday but with W/NW winds, leaving protected locations with the best conditions. A small W/SW windswell is due from a persistent fetch of W/SW winds sitting to our west, building to 1-2ft into the afternoon and then easing into Tuesday from a similar size with variable winds.

The next significant increase in swell is due to be a very inconsistent long-range W/SW groundswell later next week from the Indian Ocean. More on this Friday.