Eastern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Steve Shearer (issued Fri May 13th)

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Fun waves Sat, with light N to NW winds
• Small and clean Sun
• Series of S pulses next week from Wed with offshore winds until Fri

Recap

NE swell built yesterday into the 2ft range with a further increase today into the 2-3ft range. Winds tended light and variable this morning, before light S’lies kicked in. 

This week and next (May 11 - 16)

The fetch of deep E to E/NE winds in the Coral and Northern Tasman Sea is contracting northwards around a surface low off the CQ/Fraser coast, and expected to fizzle out over the weekend. At present gales are retrograding towards the QLD, generating large swells for the sub-tropics.

Further south the NE swell is now on the wane, with some leftovers on offer over the weekend.

Weak low pressure off to the east of the state sees a light N’ly flow re-establish through Sat, with some small fun NE swell in the 2-3ft range. There should be some small, clean waves on offer.

Winds switch W’ly on Sunday as a front tips the state, with a few small leftovers from the NE supplying some surf in the 1-2ft range. Nothing to get excited about but clean and fun on the right board.

Into next week and a series of fronts pass through the Southern Ocean, mostly with zonal fetches (W-E) and only small pulses of refracted S swell for North-East Tas. 

Mon and Tues see tiny surf with a small pulse on offer Wed, as long period S swell refracts in at about 2ft at S facing beaches. Conditions should be clean under continuing W to W/NW winds. 

A stronger front and parent low passes through Wed with severe gales under the state. This will see a bigger pulse of S swell Wed in the 2ft range, building further into the 3ft+ range Wed with a mostly W’ly flow.

A reinforcing front slingshots a gale force fetch towards the state on Thurs, operating on an already active sea state. That will see surf rebuild Thurs into the 3-4ft range with winds tending SW as the front over-tops the state.

A last S’ly pulse Fri as the trailing fetch pushes up into the Tasman sees winds shift S’ly to SSE’ly during the day. Size will be up into the 4-5ft range but you’ll need to find some wind protection.

Further ahead and next weekend looks like easing swells with high pressure drifting south of the state bringing light winds, tending NE into the medium term.

Check back Mon for a fresh update and have a great weekend!