Low moves out, S swells move in
South-east Queensland and Northern NSW Surf Forecast by James Casey (issued Wednesday 7th April)
Best Days: Calming down Thursday and Friday. Moment of calm on Saturday. Tuesday morning for N NSW and Mid N Coast.
Outlook:
- Low starting to move south bringing more options across all coasts
- Improving tomorrow for N NSW and SE QLD with swell still around
- Better for Mid N Coast on Friday with a fresh pulse of E/NE swell
- SE swell from western flank of low on Friday as low moves east
- Series of S swells from Sunday into start of the new week
- First S change weaker, second stronger with larger S swell
Recap
Most of SE QLD was a mess yesterday with E/SE winds and a solid 4-6ft swell. The few spots that were working were pumping with plenty of barrels to be had.
N NSW similarly didn’t have many options but the spots that were working were pretty good.
As is usually the case when there aren't many options, crowds were an issue. Only helped out by the amount of water moving around.
Mid N Coast saw a bit less of the swell but still had the winds making a mess of it. Only really for the keen.
Today the waves have started to clean up for SE QLD and Ballina with a few more options opening up as it calms down throughout the day. South of Ballina still looks like a mess with limited options.
This week
It’ll be another decent day of waves for SE QLD with SW winds while N NSW improves as the day goes on, winds gradually swinging around to the SW by the afternoon. For the Mid N Coast it’ll take at least another day to clean things up with winds not going SW until late Thursday evening.
The improved conditions are occurring as the low finally shifts south and then east, away from the coast. It will intensify and continue to deliver swell, especially for the Mid N Coast. 
For SE QLD and N NSW the swell will begin to ease from today already reaching it’s peak around the 4-6ft mark yesterday and this morning. It will be a gradual decline in swell for SE QLD about 4-5ft on Thursday, easing to 3-4ft Friday. As it drops more options will open up spreading the crowd out a bit.
Meanwhile another E/NE pulse will occur for southern parts of N NSW and the Mid N Coast tomorrow from about mid morning, peaking late around 5-6ft before slowly easing on Friday from 4-5ft+ in the morning.
On Friday there will also be a SE swell mixed in with it from the western flank of the low as it moves further offshore. This will add 2-3ft of SE swell across the region.
The weekend and next week
A weak and short lived S change will move through on Saturday morning, pushing the low further east. The change will only get as far north as Coffs Harbour and only really bring SW winds for the Mid N Coast. Further N winds will remain out of the W/NW under a region of high pressure. So really conditions will be calm to start the weekend. Winds will build out of the E/NE late in the day as a stronger S change approaches.
Swell wise Saturday will be the smallest day of the week with a moderate S swell filling in throughout the day, reaching 3ft+ on Sunday, smaller for SE QLD. This swell is just from the short-lived S change whipping up winds around S NSW and Tassie.
Another, stronger S change will move through on Sunday cooling the air temperature down and bringing a return to bumpier conditions. The swell associated with this change won’t fill in until Monday but expect larger waves than the previous S swell.
This larger S swell will originate from S and and W of Tassie and continue to be reinforced by more local S winds east of Tassie and up the entire east coast. Waves will peak Monday and Tuesday around the 4-6ft mark, smaller for SE QLD, before beginning to ease on Wednesday.
Winds will remain out of the S/SE for all regions on Monday. For Tuesday SE QLD will still have SE winds but a high over N NSW will bring lighter winds for N NSW and the Mid N Coast building out of the N later in the day.
Northerly winds will build on Wednesday ahead of yet another S change looking to move up into the region on Thursday. More on that in this Friday’s update.
Comments
James, any idea when the Kings surfcam will be back up?
That would be a question for Ben.
No sweat, it's back up now
6/10 all day again, NFI.
It baffles me why people get so caught up in the rating. Read the detail and you get a fair idea of what's going down.
The last couple of days here in Sydney with the south swell and morning high tide Manly has been an unsurfable 2/10 while the south facing beaches 5/10. Can't please everyone.
The detail's wrong too.
10/10 at one spot today.....So, many, barrels.
There ya go.
One spot. Majority dog shit.
Anyone surf superbank stretch this arvo?
If so what was the go with 6 or so cop cars with lights and sirens blaring up near the lifeguard tower/little Marley? Couldn't see if there were any Ambos, (maybe saw a RAV4 ambo) from where I was sitting but plenty of sirens going balistic for a good 25 mins. Didn't look or sound good.
Update: also, talking ratings, i reckon today was a 10/10 between coolie beach to Kirra. Fucking unbelievable really. Days like today, wish I was a natural footer but was still so fun. Serious talent that absolute charge on the Goldy.
I was walking up the point as that was happening, apparently a teenager nearly drowned off Snapper, still in critical condition:
https://7news.com.au/news/qld/teenage-boy-in-critical-condition-after-being-swept-from-rocks-on-the-gold-coast-c-2535466
Heavy. Thanks Jono
This is truly unbelievable, how would you react, could be an eye for eye, but then the world would be blind?
What goes around comes around probably. Fuckin insane wave though
You were spot on GF
was interesting to see dingo commenting on that post on insta. after occy, dingo is the biggest drop in cunt out there
Mitch Parko is no angel in the water, he's cooked more than a few but two wrongs....unless its Occy, who's just a cnut these days and deserves to get burnt every wave he takes off on.
Had a fun quick session at Greeny this arvo. No dominant peak/bank (lots of wide sets) which helped to spread the crowds around. Water quality a bit suss though.. weird taste on the lips.
Heard about the Snapper incident just before I paddled out (my wife is a nurse at Tweed hospital); the Greeny headland had kids standing around hugging and crying, not sure if the young lad made it or not. Very sad, very heavy. Hope he's OK.
Saw a middle aged guy tried to paddle out through the key hole at snapper with a younger bloke. Set wave came young fella made it under, middle aged ol mate pushed back into the rocks, his board in 2 and cracks his head open and gets washed around to the beach where the rest of us punters paddling out. What a day
Some hesitation and retreat by a group in the Snapper keyhole, starting around the 4:40 mark:
https://www.swellnet.com/surfcams/snapper-rocks/replays#/2021-04-07/1272569
Strong, clean 4-5ft sets on the Tweed late this arvo, maybe a smidge bigger. Looked stronger than the morning.
faded on dark here. may have been a tidal effect.
doubt it though.
if by any chance you're reading this, to the long haired brazzo in a steamer asking about my sister at kirra this arvo, message me and we meet on land.
why not just invite him to the beach?