Eastern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Steve Shearer (issued Fri 8th Dec)

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Small NE swell bump Sat with a S’ly change
• Small S swell Sun with SE winds
• Small NE-E/NE swell Mon
• Strong S groundswell wrap Tues, easing Wed with light winds
• Small NE swell likely Thurs
• Another S swell pulse, this one minor, on Fri

Recap

Not much surf to speak of since Wed with yesterday in the 1ft range from the NE and similar surf today, although building a notch in the a’noon.

This weekend and next week (Dec9- Dec 15)

No great change to the weekend f/cast. A S’ly change arrives with a trough so expect S’ly winds early, easing during the day. The infeed into the trough extends a fetch up the NSW Coast (see below) supplying workable NE windswell in the 2, reaching occ. 3ft range, easing during the day and tending to small, short range S swell.

Small weak S swells with light winds tending variable, just a grovel for the keen.

Into the new week and we should see a small amount off E/NE swell from winds feeding into a stalled trough off the NSW Coast. Nothing major, 2ft or so, with the occ. bigger set and light onshore winds as high pressure slips NE of the Island.

A powerful front and parent low passing under the continent and lower Tasman Sun into Mon (see below) looks to supply long period S’ly groundswell. We should see first signs of this swell at S magnets Tues morning in the 3-4ft range with bigger swells from this source filling in during the day in the 4-5ft range at S facing beaches with as light variable wind tending N/NE in the a’noon.

Easing swells from this source Wed with a bit of workable NE windswell likely to build in over the dying S swell during the a’noon to 2-3ft under freshening NE winds.
NE windswell should peak Thurs in the 2-3ft range as another localised fetch reaches peak strength before being shunted away by a front which brings offshore winds in the a’noon.

A following front and low is not as well aligned or broad but should be capable of sending some more S’ly groundswell Fri- provisionally in the 2-3ft range at S facing beaches. Early N’lies may be disrupted by a troughy change but we’ll see how that looks on Mon.

Further ahead and the troughy pattern in the Tasman Sea and over the continent looks to remain entrenched. There is signs that fronts passing under the continent will send more glancing S swells up the coast, favouring S facing beaches. In short, nothing major, but it looks like we should have enough swell energy to stay in the water.

Check back Mon for the latest and have a great weekend!