South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday December 25th)

Best Days: South Coast today, South Coast Saturday morning and Sunday morning, possibly Mid Coast Sunday morning, Monday morning South Coast, Mid Coast next Wednesday through Friday, possibly South Coast next Friday

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Smaller tomorrow with strong N/NW tending W/NW winds, increasing further through the afternoon
• Building W windswell tomorrow PM on the Mid, holding Fri
• Localised SW swell Fri with strong SW winds
• Moderate sized W/SW swell for later Fri and early Sat with fresh W/NW tending SW winds
• Slightly smaller, miid-period W/SW swell Sun with W/NW tending S/SW winds down South, possibly variable early on the Mid
• Moderate sized W/SW-SW swell building later Tue but peaking Wed with fresh SE-S/SE winds, easing a touch Thu
• Slightly stronger W/SW-SW swell likely next Fri

Recap

Merry Christmas!

The Mid Coast held in at 1-2ft yesterday morning with clean conditions ahead of sea breezes while the South Coast cleaned up as the morning progressed with easy 3ft sets still in the mix.

Today we’ve got 1.5ft waves left across the Mid Coast and fun options down South with a bit of swell to 2ft+.

This week and weekend (Dec 26 - 29)

Tomorrow will be smaller again on the South Coast, with a background W/SW swell likely maintaining 1-2ft waves across Middleton under a strengthening N/NW breeze that will quickly shift W/NW by late morning and then strengthen into the afternoon.

This will kick up a building windswell across the Mid Coast to 2ft+, with Friday coming in a similar size as winds ease but remain strong from the SW, creating poor conditions across all locations, with a messy 3ft+ or so of swell down South.

The earlier stages of the frontal system moving up towards WA today should produce a slightly stronger mid-period W/SW pulse for later Friday and Saturday morning, maintaining 2ft+ sets across the Mid Coast while the South Coast backs off from 2ft across Middleton.

The South Coast will be best though with a fresh W/NW tending SW breeze.

Into Sunday, another fun pulse of mid-period W/SW swell is due, generated by a healthy frontal system that will develop south of the Bight tomorrow and push ease Friday.

Size wise, Middleton looks to be a better 2ft to occasionally 3ft, with 1-2ft waves inside the gulf along with moderate W/NW winds for a period around Victor before shifting S/SW mid-late morning. The Mid Coast could see variable winds early Sunday but we’ll confirm this on Friday.

Winds look great for Monday and locally offshore across both coasts with a smaller, easing swell from Sunday. The Mid Coast should become tiny with 2ft waves across Middleton.

From Wednesday onwards we’re looking at a decent run of W/SW-SW swell energy, moderate in size initially but then possibly a little larger late week. This will be thanks to back to back frontal systems moving in from the south-west of Western Australia, under the country next week.

The first is forecast to generate a healthy fetch of strong W/SW winds, followed by a stronger system with persistent gales due to be projected through our swell window.

The first system should produce a moderate sized W/SW swell for Wednesday, followed by a stronger pulse on Friday.

High pressure will move in following a S’ly change Monday evening, with winds out of the south-eastern quadrant Wednesday/Thursday, favouring the Mid Coast before shifting NE Friday. We’ll confirm this Friday.