South Australian Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday April 21st)

Best Days: Today, South Coast every day this period, the Mid Coast for learner and groms tomorrow through Tuesday

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Smaller surf Sat with local offshore winds ahead of sea breezes
• New SW swell for Sun AM, with a secondary similar sized but less consistent pulse Mon AM, easing
• Local offshore winds ahead of sea breezes Sun, similar Mon
• Small-moderate sized, inconsistent W/SW swell for Tue PM and Wed AM, then easing
• Fresher N/NE-NE winds Tue, tending E, then stronger N/NE-NE on Wed
• Low point in swell Thu with strong N/NW tending NW winds
• Moderate sized S/SW groundswell building Fri with gusty but easing SW winds
• Swell holding Sat with more variable morning winds

Recap

What a great run of swell. Our strongest pulse of W/SW energy filled in right on cue Wednesday afternoon, pulsing to 3ft+ with workable onshore winds. Yesterday was smaller and back to 2ft or so, kicking again with the incoming tide to a slightly bigger size, holding 2ft this morning.

The South Coast has been in the 3-4ft range, clean yesterday morning in protected spots but best this morning with a straighter, offshore wind. We'll see relatively weak sea breezes and waves all day across both regions.

Decent size and bumpy yesterday PM

Silky this AM

This weekend and next week (Apr 22 - 28)

The mix of swells seen through yesterday and today, generated by a progression of healthy storms through our swells windows this week, will ease off into tomorrow, but persistent, weak trailing activity should maintain 2ft to occasionally 3ft sets across Middleton, with 1-1.5ft sets on the Mid Coast.

Winds will be light offshore and favourable for both regions through the morning before afternoon sea breezes kick in.

Our small pulse of SW swell due Sunday has gone the way of EC, with the frontal system linked to it being fast tracking and relatively weak. It should still generate a small spike of new swell for Sunday morning though, with a fetch of W/NW gales due to maintain 3ft sets off Middleton with 1ft to possibly 1.5ft sets on the Mid Coast.

One final pulse of swell from another front pushing through our swell window on the weekend, strengthening late to the south-west of Victoria should maintain inconsistent 3ft sets off Middleton Monday morning before easing through the day. The Mid looks to hold 1ft to possibly 1.5ft or so.

Winds on Sunday look favourable again, N/NE down South and E/NE on the Mid ahead of afternoon sea breezes. N/NE winds will again favour the Mid Coast on Monday, shifting E'ly into the afternoon and freshening.

On Tuesday a short-lived low point in swell is expected ahead of a new W/SW groundswell arriving later morning and peaking through the afternoon.

The source of this swell will be a stronger but poorly structured low developing to the south-west of Western Australia on Saturday. The swell generating fetches around the low are tight and not overly sustained, with an initial burst of pre-frontal gale to severe-gale W/NW winds due to be followed by similar strength W'ly winds.

The swell looks to build back to 3ft across Middleton down South and 1-1.5ft on the Mid Coast, easing from 2-3ft and 1-1.5ft respectively Wednesday.

Winds look best down South Tuesday morning ahead of the swell with fresh N/NE-NE breezes, tending E'ly through the day, wind affected on the Mid Coast and then cleaning up as winds go variable into the afternoon. Stronger N/NE-NE winds will blow on Wednesday as the swell eases, shifting N/NW-NW as the swell bottoms out on Thursday.

These freshening winds out of the north will be thanks to a mid-latitude low forming over Western Australia way, slowly moving in from the west before crossing us Friday bringing SW change.

This will be at the same time as some moderate sized S/SW groundswell fills in, generated by a healthy polar frontal progression. We may see winds improve for this swell next weekend, but we'll look at this more closely on Monday. Have a great weekend!