South Australian Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday January 12th)

Best Days: This morning, Mid Coast for the keen tomorrow (not early), South Coast Tuesday morning

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Easing W/SW swell tomorrow, tiny Sun
• Building S/SE windswell for Sun and Mon AM, easing into the PM, smaller Tue
• Strong S/SE-SE winds tomorrow AM, easing slightly for a period then reverting back to the S/SE
• Strong SE tending S/SE winds Sun
• Moderate E tending S/SE winds Mon (possibly E/NE at times down South in the AM)
• Fading swell Tue with light N/NE winds ahead of a strong S/SW change around midday
• Stormy S swell with strong S winds mid-late next week

Recap

Our first pulse of inconsistent W/SW swell filled in yesterday with good 2-3ft sets across Middleton under a variable E wind, bigger into the afternoon but with sea breezes. The Mid Coast was near flat with the big high tide in the morning, pulsing nicely to 1-2ft with the incoming tide through the afternoon, but inconsistent.

Today we've got great conditions across both coasts and our secondary pulse of better, more consistent W/SW swell. The high tide again masked the size on the Mid but it's now draining and glassy 2ft sets are pushing through, 3ft and clean down South.

Sea breezes look relatively weak ahead of a trough which will bring a strong S/SW change mid-late afternoon, S/SE late on the Mid. So surf before then down South and work the local winds in the gulf.

Best day in a while for both coasts

This week and weekend (13 - 19)

Looking at the weekend ahead and the trough moving through this afternoon will be followed by a strong high. This will bring strong S/SE-SE winds tomorrow across all locations, easing a touch through the morning down South but not enough to clean the surf up.

Today's swell is due to ease but persist in the 1-1.5ft range on the Mid, with winds holding from S/SE. Remember that big morning high tide though.

Gusty SE winds will persist on Sunday but with tiny surf in the gulf, strengthening from the S/SE into the evening, generating stormy, localised levels of S/SE windswell both Sunday and Monday morning down South.

As the high moves east on Monday, winds are due to ease and shift more E'ly, possibly even E/NE at times but the surf will still be lumpy and all over the place.

Easing 3-4ft sets are due across Middleton, tiny to flat on the Mid Coast, cleaner Tuesday for a period as winds tend light N/NE ahead of the next trough and a midday S/SW change, strong into the afternoon.

Easing 2ft+ sets are due across Middleton but get in through the morning for the best of it.

Following this change we're unfortunately looking at another poor spell of strong S/SE winds and sizey, stormy swell on the South Coast as the trough forms into a low towards Victoria, and a strong high edges in from the west.

There'll be no swell for the Mid Coast so all in all, make the most of today! Have a great weekend.