Average period continues, with Tuesday next week the best bet

Craig Brokensha picture
Craig Brokensha (Craig)

Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 2nd December)

Best Days: Early Friday protected spots in the South West for desperate surfers, next Tuesday morning

Recap

A new SW groundswell kicked in yesterday across the South West and conditions were best mid-morning as winds tended E/SE with 3-5ft sets.

Today cleaner conditions were seen with the swell easing back from 3-4ft, while Perth was around 1ft, with 1-1.5ft sets around Mandurah.

This week and weekend (Dec 3- 6)

Today's swell should ease back further into tomorrow morning and with increasing S/SE tending S/SW winds, there'll be no decent options for a surf.

Later in the day an inconsistent new SW groundswell is due to fill in, produced by an intense but small low in the Heard Island region the last few days.

This should build late in the day to 3-5ft across the South West, and peak Friday morning to 4-5ft+, with 1ft+ sets around Perth.

There may be a small window of clean conditions Friday morning with a lighter S'ly breeze ahead of another gusty S'ly change pushing in through, but it'll be far from inspiring.

The weekend is looking poor with a weak and deepening low south of the Bight due to aim S'ly tending S/SW winds into the state Saturday, swinging more SW Sunday.

Next week onwards (Dec 7 onwards)

Onshore winds should ease into early next week, with the arrival of a moderate size and inconsistent SW groundswell through the afternoon, peaking Tuesday.

This has already started to be generated by a strong polar low south-east of South Africa, with a fetch of severe-gale W/SW winds being aimed through our far swell window. The low will continue slowly moving east over the coming days before breaking down just west of Heard Island.

A very infrequent long-period SW groundswell will result, building later Monday to the 4ft range at exposed locations ahead of a peak Tuesday to 5-6ft+. Perth should see very infrequent 1-2ft sets with nothing in between.

While weakening S/SW winds are due Monday, light variable tending offshore breezes are likely Tuesday morning as the swell peaks, but we'll confirm this Friday.

Beyond this a more consistent SW swell is possible later in the week, but check back for the next update.