South Australian Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Monday July 11th)

Best Days: Tomorrow Mid Coast ahead of the PM change, South Coast tomorrow, possibly early Wednesday Mid Coast, Thursday for the keen across both coasts, Friday both coasts, Saturday morning South Coast for the keen

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Moderate sized W/SW groundswell filling in tomorrow with E/NE tending N/NE winds on the Mid ahead of a late S/SW change (W/NW most of the day down South)
• Easing W/SW swell Wed with gusty S/SW winds (possibly S/SE early on the Mid)
• Small Thu with NW winds (NE in the AM on the Mid)
• New W/SW swell Fri with N/NW winds (NE early on the Mid)
• Easing swell Sat with strengthening N/NW winds, W/NW on Sun

Recap

Tiny surf all weekend on the Mid Coast, cleanest yesterday morning but only for beginners.

The South Coast was a little more workable on Saturday morning as onshore winds slowly backed off, but yesterday was the pick with clean condition and easing surf from 2-3ft across Middleton, great on the magnets.

Today conditions are clean again down South but the swell is tiny.

This week and weekend (Jul 12 - 17)

Looking at the coming days and a weakening frontal progression moving in from the west is expected to provide a window of cleaner conditions tomorrow morning on the Mid Coast along with some new W/SW groundswell.

Morning E/NE tending N/NE winds are due, shifting gusty S/SW mid-late afternoon but there should be plenty of opportunity to get a surf in before conditions deteriorate too much. The South Coast should offer W/NW winds, only shifting onshore later afternoon.

Now swell wise, as talked about late last week, the earlier stages of the frontal progression pushing east should have generated a moderate sized W/SW groundswell that’s due to fill in tomorrow, peaking to 2-3ft across the Mid Coast during the day (possibly a touch undersized early), with 3ft sets across Middleton.

The swell should start easing on Wednesday from 2ft on the Mid Coast and 3ft down South as winds spoil the party, blowing fresh S/SW in the wake of tomorrow afternoon’s change. There’s an outside chance of S/SE winds early on the Mid, but don’t count on it.

Thursday will become cleaner across both regions with local offshore winds (NE on the Mid and NW down South), tending NW in the gulf through the afternoon. The Mid Coast will be back to 1-1.5ft but surfable, small and to 2ft across Middleton.

Later in the day Thursday but more so Friday a small new pulse of mid-period W/SW swell is expected, generated by a relatively weak mid-latitude front pushing up towards Western Australia over the coming days, then dipping south-east.

The Mid Coast should see 2ft sets with the favourable parts of the tide, smaller and slower down South with 2ft to occasionally 3ft sets. An approaching trough will bring N/NW winds, favouring the South Coast but the Mid should see a morning NE offshore.

Moving into the weekend, winds will strengthen further from the N/NW as the trough nears closer, shifting W/NW on Sunday ahead of an evening S’ly change. There’s no new swell due until Sunday, with a small SW groundswell on the cards for the South Coast. The models are still shifting around regarding this though, so check back Wednesday for the latest.