Eastern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Guy Dixon (issued Friday 5th February)

Best Days: Each morning of the weekend

Recap: 

Small amount of east/northeasterly energy have been slowly building to the 2ft range across open beaches today. Each morning has offered clean options, especially at the spots picking up this swell with light southwesterly breezes dropping light/variable at times preceding a drop in quality with the arrival of afternoon seabreezes.

This weekend (Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th):

Exposed south swell magnets are likely to see a peak in southerly groundswell on Saturday morning, with options breaking in the 2-3ft range, easing from the 1-2ft range on Sunday.

Meanwhile, open beaches will be making do with small pulses of east/northeasterly energy generated by northeasterly fetches on the eastern side of a Tasman low as it developed earlier this week.

Options across these open beaches should pick up around 1-2ft, increasing on Sunday to the 2-3ft range.

Light/variable breezes are on the cards for Saturday morning, before winds increase form the northeast and begin to favour south facing beaches.

Sunday should see a window of light westerly breezes early, before a northeasterly seabreeze increases in the afternoon, becoming gusty at times.

Next week (Monday 8th onward):

As these two swell sources fade, a southeasterly fetch on the western and southern quadrants of this low will become the main swell generator as it drifts over central/northern parts of the Tasman sea.

It’s not worth getting overly excited however, as sideband energy off this 30-35kt fetch is likely to be undersized as it reaches the eastern shores of Tasmania.

Easterly energy should ebb and pulse between 1-2ft across open beaches on Monday and Tuesday, although lacking power.

Earlier this week we had been monitoring an east/southeasterly fetch that looked to develop over Cook Strait and provide swell on Tuesday, however this system has now been so heavily downgraded that it’s impacts will be negligible.

On the plus side, winds look to remain light for the majority of the morning on Monday, only giving way to a light southeasterly breeze in the afternoon. 

Tuesday on the other hand should be under a light northerly breeze from the get go, potentially swinging northwesterly at times. As the morning progresses however, winds look to increase form the northeast, having an impact on the hints of swell filling in.