Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 12th April)

Best Days: Thursday morning, Friday morning, protected spots Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, Wednesday morning

Recap

Great waves across the Margaret River region yesterday morning with a large building SW groundswell and offshore winds. Mandurah was slow early but increased nicely before winds tended onshore, while Perth was bumpy by the time the swell kicked.

Today onshore winds and a smaller swell created poor conditions around Margs, with fun clean 2ft waves up around Mandurah and tiny waves in Perth.

This week and weekend (Mar 13 – 16)

Currently to our south-west a strong polar front is projecting a fetch of W/SW gales through our south-west swell window. This front is on the back of a weaker system which is now travelling south under us, with an increase in mid-period SW swell due from this system this afternoon, peaking tomorrow morning.

The stronger polar front will generate a larger stronger SW swell for the afternoon, peaking overnight and easing Friday.

Margs should build to an easy 6ft through tomorrow afternoon (more around 5ft during the morning) with Perth building to 2ft late. Early Friday should be a similar size across both regions.

Winds are looking great tomorrow with morning E/SE offshores, more S'ly into the afternoon. Friday is looking better as well with a E/SE tending SE breeze, fresher from the S/SE into the afternoon.

A low point is still expected early Saturday, but our long-period S/SW groundswell for the afternoon is still on track.

A vigorous polar low will form south-west of us this evening, generating a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force SW winds.

The swell should arrive Saturday morning and kick strongly, reaching 6ft+ across the exposed reefs around Margs and 2ft on the sets through the afternoon around Perth.

Strengthening S/SE winds will favour protected breaks all day, with a touch more SE in the direction Sunday as the swell eases.

Into early next week we're looking at a couple of large S/SW swells, produced by a vigorous polar frontal progression firing up south-east of Heard Island.

An initial broad pre-frontal fetch of gale to severe-gale W/NW winds will be followed by stronger post-frontal W/SW winds, generating an initial large S/SW swell for Tuesday morning, even larger late in the day.

Size wise we're probably looking at 8ft surf developing in the South West late in the day, easing Wednesday but we'll have another look at this Friday.