South Australian Forecast (issued Monday 11th December)

Best Days: Wednesday South Coast, later Thursday and Friday Mid Coast, Saturday and Sunday mornings South Coast

Recap

Less than ideal conditions Saturday with a good new swell but mixed conditions from persistent onshore winds that tended variable through the morning.

Sunday was much better with a dropping swell but straighter conditions under light offshore winds from early morning.

The Mid Coast was clean but effectively flat all weekend.

Today conditions were again clean down South with a new inconsistent SW groundswell offering good 2-3ft sets off Middleton and better waves at Waits and Parsons. The Mid remained tiny to flat this morning, but a slight kick in size has been seen this afternoon.

This week (Jan 12 - 15)

South Coast: A drop in swell and morning SE winds (without too much strength) will create poor surfing conditions tomorrow, with fresh S/SE sea breezes into the afternoon.

Later in the day a new SW groundswell is due, peaking overnight and easing Wednesday, generated by a small mid-latitude low pushing in from the west, with it currently sitting just south-west of Tassie.

Middleton should kick to 2-3ft with 3-4ft+ sets at Waits and Parsons later tomorrow, easing from a similar size Wednesday morning.

Conditions should be clean as well with a morning N/NE offshore, tending N/NW ahead of a mid-afternoon onshore change. Therefore there should be plenty of time for two surfs Wednesday.

Wednesday's onshore change will be linked to a strong mid-latitude low that's developed south-west of WA, moving in from the west through the Bight while generating a healthy fetch of W/SW gales.

This should produce a moderate to large W/SW groundswell for later Thursday and Friday morning, replaced by a S/SW swell Friday from the backside of the low as it continues pushing east.

Middleton should build later Thursday to 3-4ft on dark, holding a similar size Friday morning before easing. The S/SW groundswell should keep 3-4ft sets hitting the stretch all day though before easing through Saturday.

Unfortunately poor and fresh to strong S/SW winds are due Thursday with S/SE winds Friday.

Mid Coast: Today's tiny kick in swell is due to ease through tomorrow from 0.5-1ft or so, while the SW swell for later Tuesday and Wednesday should offer better 1ft sets.

Of greater importance is the stronger W/SW groundswell for Thursday, with a kick to 2ft to possibly 3ft due by dark but with S/SW winds. A late swing to the S/SE should clean up things though. Friday should see 2ft+ waves all day with good conditions under SE tending S/SE winds.

This weekend onwards (Jan 16 onwards)

A steady drop in S/SW swell is due through the weekend with improving winds for the South Coast, from the E/NE Saturday morning but even better from the N/NE on Sunday.

Longer term a good pulse of S/SW groundswell is due mid-week from a vigorous polar frontal progression, but more on this Wednesday.