South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 2nd December)

Best Days: South Coast tomorrow morning and on the swell magnets Friday morning, Mid Coast tomorrow for the keen and beginners Friday, stormy options on the Mid Sunday, protected spots down South Sunday

Recap

A strong cold front pushing into the state yesterday kicked up a building semi-stormy W/SW windswell on the Mid Coast, reaching 3ft but with choppy conditions while the South Coast was small in the morning, building a little into the afternoon but choppy.

Today our larger, stronger S/SW groundswell is building across the South Coast, coming in at 3-5ft this morning but we should see sets to 6ft+ across Middleton into this afternoon. Onshore winds were unfortunately adding lots of bumps and chops, with cleaner waves on the Mid and a drop in swell to 2ft+.

Conditions should clean up later on the Mid Coast and sets should hang in there at 2ft.

This week and weekend (Dec 3 - 6)

The strongest of today's groundswell is due to fill in this afternoon/evening generated by a great fetch of severe-gale to storm-force S/SW winds around the western flank of the strong low that formed south of us yesterday.

Easing 6ft+ sets are due across Middleton with larger sets across deep water reefs and exposed breaks, easing tomorrow from 4-5ft across Middleton and 1.5ft to possibly 2ft on the Mid Coast.

Winds should improve for all locations with E/SE-E offshores on the Mid Coast and a light NE breeze down South ahead of sea breezes.

Come Friday a small reinforcing mid-period W/SW swell is still due to keep 1-1.5ft waves hitting the Mid Coast with small, inconsistent 2ft sets across Middleton and winds look great for the swell magnets with a light N/NE offshore down South, E/NE on the Mid.

Saturday looks to be a bit of a lay day with the swell bottoming out along with strengthening N tending W/NW winds from late morning.

The strengthening winds will be ahead of another deepening mid-latitude low forming further north in latitude and under WA on Friday. This low is forecast to project a great fetch of strong to gale-force W/SW winds through our swell window as it continues to broaden and strengthen, moving across us Saturday evening.

The low will then stall slightly south of us, resulting in strong to gale-force winds continuing to be projected up and into us through Sunday before it starts to clear Monday.

What we can expect is a large, stormy W/SW swell to develop later Saturday but more so Sunday on the Mid Coast, coming in at 3-4ft with strong W tending W/SW winds. The South Coast should see 4-5ft surf develop through Sunday but conditions will be wind affected and choppy with the winds.

With the slow movement of the low and an additional fetch of S'ly gales aimed towards us from its southern flank Sunday, an additional moderate-large S'ly swell is likely Tuesday but winds will be onshore and SW Monday, S'ly Tuesday.

The Mid Coast will remain onshore and choppy as the W/SW swell eases Monday, cleaner Tuesday but only likely 1-2ft.

Following this low we may see a final strong polar frontal system firing up in our southern swell window before things go quiet, but we'll have a closer look at this on Friday.