South Australian surf forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 20th March)

Best Days: Saturday South Coast, Monday morning South Coast, Thursday and Friday morning's South Coast

Recap

A small wave lingering on the South Coast yesterday morning with early clean conditions, deteriorating through the day as a weak windswell built on the Mid Coast.

Today the surf was tiny and clean early in protected spots again, sloppy and windswelly on the Mid Coast. We are expected to see winds shift southerly later today on the Mid, but the swell is weak and won't improve in size.

This weekend and next week (Mar 21 - 27)

Later today a new S/SW groundswell is due to build across the South Coast, and we're expecting a peak tomorrow to 3-4ft across Middleton and looking at the local winds, it'll be the pick of the coming days.

A variable E/NE-NE breeze is due tomorrow morning with the good new S/SW groundswell, weak sea breezy into the afternoon as the swell starts to ease. This should create a great full day of surf. The Mid Coast will be clean but only to 1ft or so on the sets.

Our secondary stronger and larger S/SW groundswell for Sunday is on track, but so are the onshore winds.

An intense polar low has formed south of WA with a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force W/SW winds being projected through our south-western and then southern swell window today.

We'll see this new long-period and strong S/SW groundswell building through Sunday and reaching 4-5ft+ across Middleton into the afternoon, 1ft or so on the Mid Coast but with moderate to fresh S'ly tending S/SE winds.

Monday is now looking a touch better as the S/SW groundswell starts to ease back from the 4ft range across Middleton, with a moderate to fresh E'ly to possibly E/NE breeze, favouring selected spots.

From Tuesday unfortunately we'll see winds revert back to the SE-S/SE along with secondary pulses of S/SW groundswell. The size looks to be a touch down on Sunday/Monday's with strong polar fronts firing up on the back of the strong low.

The first for Tuesday should keep Middleton around 3-4ft, tiny on the Mid Coast, with a possible third follow up swell Wednesday afternoon to a similar size.

Later week winds should improve as the S/SW energy eases, with fun waves Thursday and Friday. More on this Monday. Have a great weekend!