South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday December 27th)

Best Days: South Coast tomorrow morning, both coasts Sunday and Monday mornings, Wednesday ownards Mid Coast, South Coast next Friday and Saturday mornings

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Moderate sized W/SW swell for later today and early tomorrow with strengthening W/NW tending SW winds (moderate in the AM around Victor)
• Slightly smaller but good, mid-period W/SW swell Sun/Mon with W/NW tending S/SW winds down South, S/SE tending SW on the Mid
• Light, local offshore winds Mon ahead of relatively weak sea breezes inside the gulf, fresher down South
• Moderate sized W/SW-SW swell Wed with strengthening S/SE winds, easing a touch Thu AM with fresh SE tending S/SE winds
• Slightly stronger W/SW-SW swell later Thu/Fri AM with E-E/NE tending fresh S/SE winds

Recap

Yesterday was clean but small to tiny across the South Coast with strengthening winds while the Mid Coast started tiny but built in size through the day though it was only localised windwell.

This morning we’ve got a mix of localised W/SW and SW swells with early workable winds across both coasts that have since shifted onshore.

This weekend and next week (Dec 28 - Jan 2)

Today’s energy is due to ease across both coasts into tomorrow morning, but the Mid Coast will see a secondary, stronger pulse of W/SW swell this afternoon and into tomorrow morning.

This was generated by a healthy frontal system pushing up and into Western Australia over the past couple of days and should provide sets above the 2ft range on the Mid Coast with small, easing 2ft waves across Middleton down South.

Winds will favour the South Coast as another frontal system moves in from the west, bringing strengthening W/NW winds, tending SW into the afternoon. Early down South should only be moderate in strength.

Come Sunday some new mid-period W/SW swell energy is due to fill in, produced by weak but broad frontal progression moving under and through the Bight today.

This should maintain 2ft waves on the Mid Coast with 2-3ft sets across Middleton Sunday morning and winds look favourable for both regions with a light, morning S/SE breeze across the Mid Coast, W/NW down South ahead of relatively weak sea breezes.

Monday looks great as well with yet another pulse of mid-period W/SW swell generated by a weak but favourably aligned frontal system moving under WA tomorrow afternoon and evening, maintaining 2ft sets across the Mid Coast with 2ft+ waves off Middleton.

Light, local offshore winds will create clean conditions across both coasts ahead of sea breezes, fresh down South and relatively weak on the Mid.

Following slightly smaller surf Tuesday, the outlook for the middle to end of the week is great swell wise with favourable winds for the Mid Coast.

A couple of healthy, back-back frontal systems firing up in the Southern Ocean, south-west of Western Australia should move east towards us and under the country over the weekend and early next week.

The first will generate a fetch of sub-gale-force W/SW winds with the second system generating stronger gale to severe-gales.

This should produce two successive pulses of W/SW-SW energy, the first being mid-period in nature and arriving Wednesday, peaking through the day ahead of a secondary groundswell later Thursday/Friday.

The first pulse should reach 4ft across Middleton Wednesday with 2ft to occasionally 3ft waves on the Mid Coast, with the secondary pulse for later Thursday/Friday due to reach 5-6ft on the South Coast with a continuation of 2-3ft waves across the Mid Coast.

Winds on Wednesday will favour the Mid Coast thanks to strengthening S/SE breezes, more SE Thursday morning before again strengthening through the day from the S/SE.

The South Coast will improve on Friday but not be great with an E/NE breeze, possibly better Saturday with light morning winds ahead of sea breezes. More on this next Monday. Have a great weekend!