Fun round of NE windswell from Sun, peaking Tues

Steve Shearer picture
Steve Shearer (freeride76)

Eastern Tasmanian forecast by Steve Shearer (issued Fri January 31st)

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

  • Not much over the weekend, traces of S swell possible at S facing beaches
  • Small NE windswell Sun PM, bigger Mon and Tues
  • S change Tues PM- with a spike in S swell Wed
  • Possible small S swell end of next week

Recap

Minor E swell to 1-2ft yesterday under light winds offered a wave for the keen. Size has dipped further into today with 1-1.5ft under light NW-NE winds tending light/variable in the a’noon.

This weekend and next week (Jan 27 - Feb7)

No great changes to a lacklustre weekend f/cast. Weak high pressure moves slides over Tasmania tomorrow  into the Tasman with the remnants of a trough holding a modest fetch of SE breezes in the central Tasman. An active monsoon trough with various low pressure centres is anchoring a trade-wind fetch through the Coral Sea while NE winds develop off the Southern NSW coast towards Tasmania on Sunday. 

Not much for Sat with more tiny surf and light winds through the morning, tending NE in the a’noon-great day for diving. 

There is a low currently traversing the lower Tasman that may send some flukey S swell  making landfall on Sun. S swell magnets may hoover up some 2-3ft surf but coverage is likely to be patchy and focussed on reliable S facing beaches and reefs. N’ly winds tend NE in the a’noon with NE windswell building to 2-3ft.

A more classic looking summer chart to start next week with high pressure in the Tasman and low pressure centres near New Caledonia and in the South Pacific slot, with a healthy E’ly tradewind fetch extending across most of the Central and Southern Coral Seas and NE winds in the NETas swell window.

Expect NE windswell Mon building into the 3-4ft range under freshening N/NE winds with some easing S groundswell in the mix early.

NE windswell peaks Tues in the 4ft range with early N’lies shifting NW as a low approaches then S’ly as the small low tracks NE of the Island.

We’ll also have to keep an eye on the southern swell window as a deep low tracks from SW of Tasmania into the Tasman (see below).  That should bring some small S swell into the mix on Tues.

A small flush of SE-E/SE swell is expected as the trough lingers off the South Coast.

We may see a front push into the Tasman next weekend generating some S swell during next weekend. We’ll see how that looks on Mon.

Until then, have a great weekend!