South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday January 1st)

Best Days: Mid Coast today through Friday, South Coast Friday morning but more so Saturday, South Coast Sunday ahead of the change

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Moderate + sized W/SW swell for tomorrow with a stronger groundswell possibly showing later, peaking Fri AM, easing
• Moderate E/SE-SE winds tomorrow AM on the Mid (stronger S/SE PM), E/SE down South in the AM
• Light E/NE-NE winds down South Fri AM ahead of relatively weak sea breezes, E on the Mid in the AM
• Moderate sized, reinforcing SW groundswell for Sat AM, easing with N/NE tending N/NW winds
• Smaller Sun with gusty N/NE tending variable then W/SW-SW winds

Recap

Happy New Year!

The morning high tide has swallowed up the swell energy the last couple of days but yesterday morning was a clean 1-2ft before pulsing to 2ft with the incoming tide, and this morning was again slow but still 2ft on the high tide.

We can expect more swell during the day (looks to be in already) as winds strengthen from the S-S/SW, tending S/SE on dark.

Good sized sets showing on the draining tide today

This week and weekend (Jan 2 - 5)

Our good run of westerly swell will continue over the coming days with more size due on the South Coast tomorrow and Friday.

This is thanks to the healthy dual lows moving in from the Heard Island region towards and then under the country since the weekend, with the first system being weakest, followed by the stronger secondary low.

The Mid should maintain 2ft to occasionally 3ft sets on the favourable parts of the tide tomorrow before slowing (less consistent) a little Friday though holding the same size.

The South Coast looks to come in 3-4ft tomorrow morning with a stronger increase due later tomorrow but more so Friday morning to 4-6ft, easing into the afternoon.

Winds tomorrow will favour the Mid Coast and be moderate out of the E/SE-SE, stronger S/SE into the afternoon while the South Coast looks bumpy with E/SE morning winds. The keen will still find a wave.

Friday looks to offer cleaner waves down South as winds tend E/NE-NE for a good period during the morning before sea breezes kick in, while the Mid will be clean in the morning ahead of weak sea breezes.

Saturday will be the pick for South Coast with great N/NE tending N/NW winds and a good pulse of reinforcing SW groundswell generated by a tight but intense low forming well south of Western Australia today. 

The low looks to produce a fetch of severe-gale W/NW winds before weakening while tracking east-southeast and this should keep Middleton up around 3ft to possibly 4ft at dawn, easing through the day.

The Mid will likely back off from 1-2ft.

Sunday looks smaller and tricky as a low moves across us with strong N/NE winds due to tend variable through the day ahead of a stronger SW change later.

The new SW groundswell due into the afternoon has been downgraded unfortunately with no major size due thanks to the storm linked to it now forecast to be weaker and developing later in our swell window.

Monday will then be average with easing surf under S-S/SW winds.

Longer term the outlook is more typical of summer with no decent swell and persistent winds out of the south-eastern quadrant so make the most of the current swell and favourable conditions!