Poor run for the South Coast, small to tiny on the Mid

Craig Brokensha picture
Craig Brokensha (Craig)

South Australian Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday March 4th)

Best Days: Possibly protected spots this afternoon South Coast, Mid Coast late tomorrow, Mid Coast for the keen Wednesday, South Coast Thursday and Friday mornings

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

  • Small, mid-period W/SW swell Sat with fresh S/SW winds (tending S/SE on dark), easing Sun with strong S/SE winds
  • Mix of new SW groundswell and S/SE windswell Sun with strong S/SE winds, easing Mon with moderate S/SE winds, strengthening into the PM
  • Moderate sized SW groundswell for Wed with fresh SE tending strong S/SE winds, easing a touch Thu with morning E/NE winds, smaller Fri with a light E/NE breeze

Recap

Really fun surf down South yesterday morning with clean conditions and fun 2ft sets across Middleton, bigger on the magnets. Today a strong SW change moved through just on dawn, creating average conditions but it's since eased and tended back to the W/SW, but with the small swell it's nothing great. The Mid Coast has been flat and unsurfable.

Winds are due to shift back to the W/NW this afternoon ahead of a trough/low so keep an eye on the local observations and cameras.

This weekend and next week (Mar 5 - 11)

These notes will be brief due to communication issues with our other forecasters in northern NSW.

The trough/weakening low linked to today's strengthening W/NW winds will move through this evening, leaving gusty S/SW winds across both coasts into tomorrow morning along with a new, mid-period W/SW swell.

This swell should provide surf mostly to 1.5ft but with 2ft sets on the Mid Coast magnets but winds will create bumpy/choppy conditions. Winds should shift S/SE on dark tomorrow so keep an eye on that window.

Into Sunday poor, strong S/SE winds will clean up the Mid Coast but with a tiny, bumpy 1-1.5ft wave, choppy and a mess down South. There'll be a new SW groundswell in the mix Sunday down South but the winds will make it a write-off.

Unfortunately conditions will remain poor into early-mid next week with a new ridge of high pressure pushing in from the west, with a moderate S/SE tending strong S'ly breeze due Monday, strong from the S/SE on Tuesday.

It looks like winds will shift SE on Wednesday morning but remain fresh with Thursday and Friday mornings seeing more favourable E/NE winds.

Swell wise a fun new mid-period SW swell is due on Wednesday, generated by a healthy polar frontal system moving in from a position east of the Heard Island region tomorrow, under the country early next week.

Surf to a good 4ft+ is due across Middleton with the Mid Coast coming in at 1-1.5ft, the best of the bunch with the SE winds.

The swell will ease slowly through Thursday with those more favourable E/NE breezes, dropping from 3ft+ across Middleton and 3ft on Friday with a reinforcing mid-period SW swell.

Longer term high pressure looks to dominate our main swell windows resulting in persistent easterly winds and no major surf. More on this Monday, have a great weekend!

Comments

john wise's picture
john wise's picture
john wise Saturday, 5 Mar 2022 at 10:37am

need those highs to piss off out of the bight and make their way towards alice springs.