Moderate swell pulses with workable winds

Craig Brokensha picture
Craig Brokensha (Craig)

Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Monday April 4th)

Best Days: South West magnets tomorrow morning, Thursday, Friday morning Perth and Mandurah, Sunday

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

  • Fading W/SW swell tomorrow with E tending late, strong S/SW winds
  • Similar winds Wed with a smaller swell, building slightly with an inconsistent, long-period swell
  • Moderate sized, mid-period W/SW-SW swell for Thu and Fri with fresh NE tending lighter N winds Thu, SW tending W/SW Fri (variable Perth and Mandurah in the AM)
  • Easing surf Sat with strong S/SE winds
  • Inconsistent SW groundswell Sun with fresh morning E/SE winds

Recap

Tiny to flat on Saturday with clean conditions while yesterday our first pulse of mid-period W/SW swell started to build with favourable winds for protected spots. The late afternoon and evening were best with the size.

Today the swell is still holding with 6ft sets in the South West, 2ft surf in Mandurah and Perth but with less than ideal winds. Best in protected spots again.

This week and weekend (Apr 5 - 10)

We'll see the current W/SW swell energy easing over the coming days and conditions will be much cleaner but you'll have to hit the South West swell magnets early with a moderate E'ly breeze.

It'll be back to mostly 3ft with the possible rare 4ft'er, tiny and to 1ft in Perth and Mandurah. Sea breezes are due later in the day but there'll be time for two surfs.

A low point in swell is due on Wednesday with great morning winds, with a very inconsistent background long-period swell stopping the South West from going flat.

Of greater importance is some better mid-period swell due into Thursday and Friday.

This is being generated by a relatively weak but broad and elongated frontal progression that's currently taking place south-west of us.

An initial front will be taken over by a front spawning off a strong polar low that's current west of the Heard Island region. We'll see the groundswell from the low arriving Sunday, but the mid-period swell ahead of it is due Thursday and Friday with Margs coming in at 4-6ft, (possibly a touch undersized early Thursday) with 1-2ft sets in Perth and Mandurah.

Winds will freshen from the NE on Thursday, easing into the afternoon from the N'th, with the trough moving through Friday bringing SW tending W/SW winds in the South West, variable to the north early.

Winds should swing more S/SE into Saturday but strong as Friday's swell eases, with the inconsistent SW groundswell on Sunday providing a boost back to 6ft to occasionally 8ft across the South West magnets, with inconsistent 2ft sets in Mandurah, 1-2ft across Perth. Winds looks offshore from the E/SE with this swell but the models diverge a little regarding this so we'll have another look Wednesday.

Longer term the outlook still remains void of any major swell activity but more so fun, moderate pulses of swell. More on this Wednesday.