South Australian Forecast (issued Friday 25th March)

Best Days: Saturday morning South Coast, Saturday and Sunday for tiny peelers on the Mid, keen surfers Monday and Tuesday mornings down South, Wednesday morning down South

Recap

A slow start to both coasts yesterday morning with no decent swell and less than ideal winds. A strong new S/SW groundswell filled in through the day though, providing solid 3-4ft sets across most locations down South from Middleton to Chiton, while the Mid pulsed to 1ft+.

This morning the swell was around a similar size on the Mid and South Coasts, but still onshore and bumpy across the later.

This weekend and next week (Mar 26 – Apr 1)

South Coast: There's not too much change to tomorrow's outlook, but Sunday's swell has been upgraded yet again, with large surf due to impact the Victorian coastline.

The last couple of days a vigorous polar frontal system has generated a fetch of pre-frontal and post-frontal gale to severe-gale winds through our swell window.

This has generated two separate pulses of S/SW groundswell, the first for tomorrow morning ahead of a slightly stronger pulse through the late afternoon.

Middleton should see 3-4ft sets most of tomorrow, possibly providing 5ft sets later in the day, with Waits and Parsons more in the 5ft+ range all day.

Now, Sunday's strong long-period S/SW groundswell has been upgraded in size and strength with the mid-latitude low generating it now due to be really intense.

The low is currently developing south of WA, with a fetch of severe-gale W/NW winds due to pave the way for stronger storm-force SW winds to move over, projecting nicely through our south-western swell window.

A large long-period SW groundswell will result, filling in Sunday morning and peaking through the middle of the day.

Large and strong 6ft+ sets are due across the Middleton stretch with 6-8ft waves at offshore reefs, while Waits and Parsons will be solid and around 6-8ft+.

A drop in size is due later in the day, back further through Monday morning but this will be slowed into the afternoon and Tuesday but a reinforcing S/SW swell from broad and elongated trailing SW winds on the backside of the low.

Size wise, Middleton should ease slowly from 4-5ft Monday morning with 6ft sets at Waits and Parsons, down further from 3ft to occasionally 4ft and 5ft respectively Tuesday morning.

Coming back to the winds and tomorrow morning is more than likely to offer early W'ly winds around Victor, creating clean conditions ahead of a swing to the SW during the day.

Sunday then looks less than ideal which is a shame with a SE breeze, possibly tending more E/SE through the mid-late morning ahead of S/SE sea breezes.

Monday should be cleaner but still far from perfect with a light morning E'ly, similar Tuesday before winds finally swing offshore Wednesday but with a smaller fading swell.

Mid Coast: The groundswell pulses for this weekend won't be ideally aligned for the Mid, but the constant activity should produce 1-1.5ft sets on the favourable parts of the tide all weekend, easing back slowly from Monday.

Longer term there's some good strong swell due into Friday and next weekend with more favourable winds, but more on this Monday. Have a great weekend!