South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 3rd May)

Best Days: South Coast Thursday and Friday morning, both coasts Sunday, and Monday, South Coast Tuesday

Recap

Fun waves on the Mid Coast yesterday as winds remained workable most of the day with consistent 2ft surf. The South Coast was poor with a mix of W/SW groundswell and mid-period S/SW swell.

Today conditions were much cleaner across both coasts with fun 2ft waves continuing on the Mid and improving solid surf down South.

This week and weekend (May 4 – May 7)

Currently a mix of easing W/SW groundswell and mid-period S/SW swell are breaking across our coasts, and these swells will ease steadily over the coming days.

The South Coast will be the pick as the Mid Coast drops back from a tiny 1ft+ while Middleton should see easing sets from 3ft.

Conditions will be great most of the day with a light N/NE tending variable breeze tomorrow, fresher from the N/NW Friday with a small easing S'ly swell from 2ft at most locations.

Into the weekend we'll see a moderate to large W/SW groundswell filling in across the state, mixed in with a mid-period SW swell.

The W/SW groundswell has already started to be generated by a vigorous polar frontal progression firing up west-southwest of WA.

A fetch of gale to severe-gale W/SW winds are being aimed through our western swell window and we'll see this progression roll on east under the country while continuing to produce gale to severe-gale SW winds. The final stages of the progression will see one of the fronts project north-east up into us, bringing with it an increase in mid-period but moderate sized SW swell late Saturday and more so Sunday.

The W/SW groundswell should peak Sunday to a strong 2-3ft on the Mid Coast, while the South Coast will see large 4-6ft waves.

Coming back to Saturday and a gusty pre-frontal NW wind will create clean conditions down South with a small 2ft wave off Middleton, giving into a S/SW change mid-late morning. This will also kick up some weak windswell on the Mid Coast to 1-2ft.

Sunday looks excellent for the Mid Coast as the front clears to the east resulting in E/SE offshores, while the South Coast will also clean up as winds tend E/NE-NE, but there'll still be a lot of lump and unorganised surf from Saturday's onshores.

Next week onwards (May 8 onwards)

Sunday's mix of swells will tail off through Monday and winds will remain favourable with a NE offshore down South (E/NE on the Mid Coast) similar Tuesday.

Later in the week we're looking at another strong and powerful W/SW groundswell impacting the state, generated by a vigorous polar frontal progression firing up in the Indian Ocean, but more on this Friday.