South-east Queensland and Northern NSW Surf Forecast by James Casey (issued Monday 5th April)

Best Days: Wednesday for SE QLD, Thursday for NSW. 

Outlook:

• E swell to peak over the coming days, SE QLD today/tomorrow, N NSW and Mid N Coast Wednesday/Thursday
• Pick of conditions will be once winds go S and then offshore a day or two after the swell peaks
• Lighter winds Friday with SE swell from western flank of low
• Series of fronts delivering S swell over the weekend and into the new week

Recap

Well it wasn’t a beautiful Easter long weekend but there was plenty of swell to be had. Winds were out of the E/SE for the most of it meaning there were only few spots that could really handle the wind and from all reports those spots were crowded to say the least. 

The swell will peak for the Sunshine Coast today but winds will remain out of the E/SE for while longer. 

This week

The tropical low off the coast has been downgraded but it hasn’t really stopped the onshore winds from making a mess of things out there. 

The swell will peak for the Sunshine Coast today, tomorrow and into Wednesday for the Gold Coast, Wednesday for N NSW and late Wednesday for the Mid N Coast. It’ll peak around that 4-6ft mark for SE QLD and N NSW and more like 5-6ft for the Mid N Coast as the low intensfies before heading east. One final pulse will occur on Thursday providing 4-5ft waves for the Mid N Coast. All peaks in the swell will be out of the E before swinging around to the E/SE the day after as the low shifts south of your region. 

The peak of the swell won’t be the best day of waves though with a day or two after looking better as the low shifts further S, creating better winds and conditions. 

For SE QLD Wednesday is looking like the pick as the low shifts to the south allowing winds to finally go south, opening up better conditions for more locations. 

For N NSW and the Mid N Coast Thursday morning looks the pick with the swell hanging in there, still up around 3-4ft for Mid N Coast, but winds finally having an offshore component, out of the SW. 

By Friday, as the low moves further away from the coast winds will finally become light and out of the NW meaning there’ll be better conditions and you can finally get out of that protected southern corner. The swell will be more out of the SE with the western flank of the low generating a 2-3ft SE swell. Open beaches will be clean and picking up most of the swell so it should be a nice day of waves.

The weekend and next week

Saturday morning will be a moment of calm for most of the region as a high keeps conditions nice but it will be the smallest day of the week. 

A cold front will pass Tassie on Friday and push the low further out to sea away from our coast on Saturday. A trough associated with it could create a short lived S change for the Mid N Coast Saturday morning but there shouldn’t be much in it. 

On Saturday, a S swell from the front further south will push up into the Mid N Coast and then N NSW later in the evening, reaching 3-5ft and lingering into Sunday.  SE QLD will see this S pulse on Sunday but it will be smaller, more like 2-3ft, slightly bigger at S swell magnets. 

Another stronger front will pass Tassie on Saturday. This will bring a stronger S change and a larger swell. At this stage it looks like it’ll peak around the 4-6ft mark for the Mid N Coast and N NSW on Monday. It will reach SE QLD late on Monday into Tuesday but it’ll be smaller as the S swell struggles to wrap in. It’ll be more like 3ft, a touch bigger at the S swell magnets. 

The S swell will ease on Tuesday into Wednesday with smaller conditions from Thursday onwards. Tune in on Wednesday for an update.