Fun round of winter tradeswell ahead

Steve Shearer picture
Steve Shearer (freeride76)

South-east Queensland and Northern NSW Forecast by Steve Shearer (issued Fri June 20th)

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

  • Fun sized tradeswell over the weekend
  • Lighter S-SE winds over the weekend (W-SW inshore early)
  • Fun tradeswells continue into early next week
  • S pulses likely to kick off Thurs and continue into next weekend
  • Another tradewind band looks to set-up late next week into the weekend with small, fun tradeswell medium term

Recap

Tiny surf to start yesterday with just a minor signal of S swell in the water at NENSW S exposed breaks (2ft or less) and a little uptick in SE swell by the end of the day under S’ly winds. Today is seeing more SE-E/SE tradeswell in the water to 2 occ. 3ft with morning SW breezes tending mod S-SE through the day. 

Fun SE-E/SE trade swell perks up a notch today

This weekend (Jun 21-22)

No significant change to the weekend f/cast. High pressure across the interior of NSW will be moving across Southern NSW into the Tasman, with a trade fetch currently anchored by a small low sliding off to the SE over the weekend. 

We’ll see light SW winds inshore early (tending W’ly from the Gold Coast to NENSW and more SW-S on the Sunshine Coast) which will swing SE at mod paces through the day. 

Source of fun waves over the weekend

Similar winds Sun morning before winds swing more E/SE-E’ly or even E/NE’ly across the MNC. 

Surf-wise we’ll see a small, fun trade swell hover in the 2-3ft range Sat, just a half notch stronger Sun (more consistent 3ft sets). Nothing incredible but fun waves both days. 

Next week (Jun 23 onwards)

High pressure sits in the mid-Tasman at the start of next week, maintaining a useful, broad trade flow through the Coral Sea, with a weakening ridge and winds shifting E through NE. Compared to Wed’s notes that flow should stay light on Mon, as the approaching front/low has had timing pushed back. Light offshore breezes Mon with a’noon E to NE winds at light paces with fun E’ly trade swell should hold surf in the 2 occ. 3ft range. 

N’lies freshen Tues (stronger south of the border) as the large low/front approaches, possibly tending N/NW or even NW late in the day. We’ll see another day of fun E’ly tending E/NE’ly swell to 2-3ft with winds favouring the beachies and backbeaches once it swings more N’ly.

By Wed the front will be pushing a fresh W/NW tending W’ly flow across NSW and up into SEQLD. Small E’ly swells to 2ft+ will ease through the day as those sources migrate out of the swell window.

We’ll see acute S swell in the water Thurs, at least in NENSW, under offshore W tending W/SW then SW- S/SE winds as a new high pressure ridge builds in the wake of the front.  We’ll pencil in 2-3ft of surf for Thurs morning across NENSW, building to 3-5ft at S exposed breaks. Tiny surf in SEQLD with S magnets showing some 2ft surf by close of play.

By Friday S swells across NENSW will likely hold in the 3-4ft range (bigger at S swell magnets) with SEQLD S swell magnets and northern corners seeing some 2-3ft surf. Winds will swing SW through SE as the high pressure ridge continues. 

Light SE-E winds and settled conditions next weekend as another large high moves over NSW and into the Tasman. Models suggest a small blend of S groundswell with some fun  E’ly tradeswell in the water at this point. 

Further ahead, models have been toying with low pressure development in the Coral Sea or Northern Tasman into the last week of June/first week of July. Nothing concrete or specific yet, but we’ll keep eyes on any instability and see how it’s shaping up on Mon.

Until then, have a great weekend!

Comments

B.B.Blitz's picture
B.B.Blitz's picture
B.B.Blitz Friday, 20 Jun 2025 at 1:37pm

When the word 'fun' is used you know it means small, in an optimistic way, much like 'buttery' meant glassy the new small is 'fun'...just sayin.

Rumpelstiltskin's picture
Rumpelstiltskin's picture
Rumpelstiltskin Friday, 20 Jun 2025 at 2:08pm

Fucking Mensa International over here

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Friday, 20 Jun 2025 at 1:50pm

Definitely a downgrade from how it looked this time last week.

Personally glad because we've got no sand for anything else and the last thing we need is any significant size from the E.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Friday, 20 Jun 2025 at 2:10pm

yes exactly small swells are all we need as the banks are trying to return....sort of amazing how quick its changing atm ........

Surfalot67's picture
Surfalot67's picture
Surfalot67 Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 7:43am

Looks bumpy this morning. Reckon it will straighten up again?

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 9:37am

50/50- pressure gradients do ease ever so slightly o/night into the morning so we'll see the onshore flow proximate to the coast ease a notch into tomorrow.

Offshore here this morning but wobbly, janky 3ft of trade swell. Deffo surfable.

Mata's picture
Mata's picture
Mata Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 9:48am

The point was fun this morning. Def better then it looked at first light, which I think kept the crowd light too.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 11:18am

Sand filling back into a nice little cove I like to surf.

Sprout's picture
Sprout's picture
Sprout Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 1:59pm

Junk here.

tip-top1's picture
tip-top1's picture
tip-top1 Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 3:38pm

pretty surfable mid stretch sc, not pumping but worth a paddle

Sprout's picture
Sprout's picture
Sprout Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 4:32pm

Nice! Not great wind for up here unfortunately.

tip-top1's picture
tip-top1's picture
tip-top1 Sunday, 22 Jun 2025 at 6:52am

i checked the south end prior , and it was ordinary,

adsi's picture
adsi's picture
adsi Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 2:42pm

Swell just felt too short period this morning.

daboots's picture
daboots's picture
daboots Saturday, 21 Jun 2025 at 3:59pm

Fun here. Small but glassy and peaky with clear water, some good runners, lots of options and not too much of a crowd. Sets were every 5-10 minutes apart, so consistent waves coming through. Felt like a proper autumn / winter chilled and beautiful lil surf.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Sunday, 22 Jun 2025 at 7:25am

V. similar to yesterday- it's got an offshore on it but still jumbled up and janky.

juegasiempre's picture
juegasiempre's picture
juegasiempre Sunday, 22 Jun 2025 at 7:31am

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I went to flick through this but ended up watching all of it. I hope it's interesting for you guys as it was for me. It's before my time but it really seemed like a better country. No fat arses, everyone out enjoying the sun and each other, etc etc. It's a form of life that endears me to the third world beach towns that we must have lost along the way.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Sunday, 22 Jun 2025 at 7:35am

Kick in size to 3ft to occ 4ft across the upper MNC yesterday afternoon, this morning looks smaller.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Sunday, 22 Jun 2025 at 7:48am

Copy that Craig.
Big a'noon tide really swallowed up the energy here yesterday a'noon.

Mata's picture
Mata's picture
Mata Sunday, 22 Jun 2025 at 10:28am

Mostly a jumbled up mess at a point on SC this morning. Rain squalls at first light didn't help either. It's clearing up now, might be worth a look later