South Australian Forecast (issued Friday 14th August)

Best Days: Saturday and Sunday down South, Tuesday through Thursday down South

Recap

Solid easing waves across the South Coast yesterday with decent conditions under a W/NW breeze. The Mid Coast was fun with a lighter onshore breeze and 2ft+ of swell persisting all day.

Smaller 1-1.5ft waves were seen across the Mid into today with a N'ly breeze while the South Coast was pumping with a reinforcing S/SW swell keeping solid 4ft sets hitting Middleton under straight offshore winds.

This weekend and next week (Aug 15 - 21)

There's been no real change to the weekend's forecast with the surf due to bottom out in size tomorrow morning before a good new SW groundswell builds into the afternoon.

This should see the Middleton stretch build from 3ft on the sets through the morning, to 4ft into the mid-late afternoon with Waits building from 4ft+ to the 6ft range. The Mid should see infrequent 1ft to possibly 2ft sets on the incoming tide. Conditions will be great with an offshore N'ly tending variable breeze.

Sunday will be good as well but in more protected locations with a NW tending W'ly breeze with easing 3-4ft sets at Middleton and surf in the 5ft range at Waits.

Monday's building S/SW groundswell is still on track but so are the onshore winds associated with it.

A strengthening polar low will project a fetch of S/SW gales through our southern swell window Sunday and Monday morning, while clipping the state Monday morning.

With this an early W'ly breeze is due to swing S/SW late morning down South, as the swell builds and reaches 4-5ft across the Middleton stretch later in the day. The Mid isn't expected to see any major size at all.

Tuesday should see winds become more variable and tend more N/NE with a good easing swell from 3-5ft at Middleton with 4-6ft sets due at Waits and Parsons, smaller into the afternoon and Wednesday as winds strengthen from the N/NE.

Longer term, besides a small and inconsistent S/SW groundswell pulse Thursday afternoon, there's nothing significant on the cards as a broad cut-off low lingering in the Bight blocks our main swell windows. Therefore make the most of this weekend!