South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 26th December)

Best Days: South Coast Thursday morning and early Friday at magnets, keen surfers Mid Coast Thursday morning, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday

Recap

Fun waves across the South Coast yesterday with a variable breeze and fun 2-3ft of swell off Middleton, back to a tiny 0.5-1ft on the Mid after Monday afternoon's fun pulse.

This morning we've got similar sized surf across both coasts with a new mid-period W/SW swell due to fill in this afternoon. This should provide 1-1.5ft sets across the Mid Coast, steadying in size down South but with sea breezes. A late swing to S/SE winds is due on the Mid so keep an eye on things for the late.

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This week and weekend (Dec 27 - 30)

This afternoon's increase in mid-period W/SW swell is expected to come in at a similar size across both coasts tomorrow morning before easing off during the day and further Friday.

The Middleton stretch should ease from 2-3ft, with 1-1.5ft sets on the Mid Coast, though a bit slow on the morning high tide.

Conditions will be good across both coasts early with an E/NE offshore on the Mid Coast and N/NE winds down South, tending N/NW around midday ahead of a mid-late afternoon SW change.

The change will be shallow and as a result Friday morning looks clean again with a N/NE offshore down South (E/NE on the Mid Coast) though we may see a mid-morning SW change, so aim for the early.

Middleton looks small with easing 1-2ft sets max, and tiny 0.5-1ft waves on the Mid.

Our weekend swells have been upgraded a touch with a front that's currently south of WA generating a small fetch of strong W/SW winds that will strengthen a little further but while dipping east-southeast away from us.

This should produce a small mid-period SW swell for Saturday to 2ft along the Middleton stretch with tiny 1ft waves on the Mid Coast.

A stronger secondary front pushing up closer to WA and producing better W/SW winds through our western swell window will generate a good W/SW swell for Sunday that will provide great 2ft waves on the Mid Coast and 3ft along the Middleton stretch.

Winds however will be poor for the South Coast and best for the Mid with a moderate to fresh S/SE breeze Saturday and similar S/SE winds on Sunday.

Looking longer term and we'll see another two good mid-latitude frontal progressions generating W/SW swell pulses for Monday and Wednesday respectively, producing fun waves on the Mid Coast while the South Coast looks poor with winds form the south-eastern quadrant. More on this Friday though.