Southern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 18th September)

Best Days: Saturday and Sunday small clean waves, early Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Recap

Good clean easing swell from 2-3ft yesterday morning, but a secondary pulse of swell due later in the day and into this morning to a similar size looks to have come in a touch smaller to 2ft or so. Morning offshores have since given into afternoon sea breezes.

This weekend and next week (Sep 19 – 25)

Today's SW groundswell is expected to ease back through tomorrow with inconsistent but fun 2ft sets due to still persist most of the day under N/NW tending variable winds (possibly giving into a late sea breeze).

A strong but mis-aligned fetch of broad pre-frontal NW gales pushing south-east towards the polar shelf are expected to produce a small W/SW swell Sunday to 1-2ft or so.

This will be again with offshore tending variable winds, with a late sea breeze a possibility.

Monday's inconsistent long-range W/SW groundswell for the afternoon is still on track but again only to a very infrequent 1-2ft across Clifton and with an onshore change moving through the day.

Of greater importance is the larger SW groundswell due to build through Tuesday and ease Wednesday.

The vigorous polar low generating this swell is firing up in the Heard Island region today with it due to push east over the weekend while aiming a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force W/SW winds through our swell window.

A large SW groundswell will be created, with it due to kick to a strong 3-5ft later in the day across Clifton Tuesday but with poor onshore S/SW winds in the wake of Monday's change.

Wednesday will see the swell easing from the 3ft+ range but with lingering S/SW winds. There's an outside chance of an early W'ly, but you'll have to check back here Monday for the latest on this.

Later Thursday and Friday morning a new SW groundswell pulse is due, generated by a pre/post frontal W/NW and W/SW fetch but only 2ft or so of swell is due. Winds should improve and swing offshore from Thursday but we'll have another look Monday. Have a great weekend!