South Australian Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday July 12th)

Best Days: South Coast tomorrow and Friday, Mid Coast late Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, South Coast for the keen Saturday but more so Sunday onwards

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Inconsistent, mod-large W/SW groundswell Thu, easing during the day with strengthening N/NW winds (fresh N/NE early on the Mid)
• Temp low poing in swell Fri AM, ahead of a W/SW groundswell for the PM, holding Sat
• Strong but easing N/NW-N winds Fri (N in the AM on the Mid)
• SE tending weak W/SW winds on the Mid Sat, light-mod S down South
• Moderate sized SW groundswell filling in Sun with local offshore winds ahead of weak sea breezes
• Slowly easing surf Mon with local offshore winds and variable sea breezes

Recap

Super fun waves across both coasts yesterday with easing 3-4ft sets across the Middleton stretch with favourable winds all day, 2-3ft on the Mid Coast and cleanest through the morning.

Today the swell is a touch smaller across both locations but great down South with decent conditions across the Mid, even with a bit of northerly bump and peakiness.

A new long-period W/SW groundswell may be seen later today but this will peak in size tomorrow morning across all locations.

Decent waves across both regions this morning

This week and weekend (Jul 11 - 16)

Later today a new long-period W/SW groundswell may be seen, with it due to peak this evening and start easing through tomorrow.

The source of this swell was a great fetch of severe-gale W/NW winds through the southern Indian ocean on the weekend and we should see good, strong 3ft sets on the favourable parts of the tide across the Mid Coast, with Middleton easing back from 4-5ft in the morning.

Stronger winds will kick in tomorrow ahead of approaching but south-east tracking frontal activity from Western Australia, creating choppy, wind affected surf on the Mid. Gusty N/NE morning winds are due to shift strong N/NW into the afternoon while the South Coast will see strong N/NW winds all day, becoming tricky into the afternoon.

Strong N/NW-N winds are due to persist Friday morning across all locations as the swell reaches a temporary low point, ahead of some new, moderate sized W/SW groundswell building into the afternoon. Winds are due to ease mid-late afternoon as this swell arrives, generated by the frontal activity passing under Western Australia over the coming days.

Strong to gale-force fetches of W/NW winds will generate this groundswell, with it due to build to 2-3ft by dark on the Mid Coast Friday and 3-4ft across Middleton.

A trailing fetch of weaker but healthy W/SW winds moving in behind the W/NW gales should maintain 2-3ft waves on the Mid Coast Saturday with 3-4ft sets across Middleton.

A trough looks to bring a shallow S/SW change pre-dawn Saturday, lingering from the S'th across the South Coast all day. This won't be ideal but conditions should still be OK thanks to the light nature of the winds. The Mid looks clean with a morning SE breeze, fresher S'ly into the afternoon and back to the S/SE late.

Come Sunday, a stronger SW groundswell is due to fill in across the South Coast, produced by a more southerly positioned frontal system pushing in under the country Friday evening/Saturday. A good fetch of W/SW gales should kick the South Coast to 5ft through the day as the Mid Coast persists in the 2ft range.

Both regions will be clean in the morning with local offshore winds before weak sea breezes kick in. The easing trend looks slow during early next week as winds remain favourable, locally offshore ahead of variable afternoon sea breezes.

Longer term there's more strong frontal activity and moderate to large surf due later week, but more on this Friday.