Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (issued on Mon28thFeb)

This week and next week (Feb28-Mar12)

Central QLD: Low slipping through South Pacific sends good swells to exposed breaks this week, with small background surf before and after.

E’ly winds feeding into a coastal trough/low have been positioned just far enough north to generate some useful swell for the exposed breaks on the CQ/Burnett Coast. 

Small, fun peelers. No rain.

Waves have popped up above f/cast expectations today, as an E/NE infeed into a coastal trough/low off the SEQLD coast has generated fun surf on the CQ coast. Lighter winds saw good conditions with 2ft surf at more exposed breaks on the Burnett coast and tiny surf elsewhere.

Blocking high pressure straddles the south-east of the continent with centres near New Zealand and Tasmania. This is maintaining a deep E’ly flow, with coastal troughs and a surface low off the NSW North Coast, now moving South. Another tropical depression near New Caledonia is in the process of re-invigorating a long E’ly fetch in the South Pacific corridor, with plenty of E swell on track from this source later in the week. It’s an incredibly dynamic outlook as the close range source and more distant E swell source overlap this week. 

There’s enough E’ly energy from the Coral Sea fetch aimed into the coastal low to maintain 1ft surf across exposed breaks through the next few days, with light NE winds expected.

Longer period swell from the more distant South Pacific fetch sees surf increase on Thurs, into the 2ft range with a further increase Friday seeing 2-3ft sets on exposed breaks. Light N’ly winds will accompany the swell.

Surf holds through the weekend at similar levels with light N’ly winds continuing.

Into next week and a slow roll-off in size is expected with surfable conditions extending into mid next week and light winds.

Check back Wed for a fresh update.