Southern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 8th January)

Best Days: Saturday morning, Sunday morning, early Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

Recap

Tiny surf again yesterday morning, ahead of a late kick in new SW groundswell that's come in at a very strong and bigger than forecast 4ft this morning. A kick to 3ft+ waves due, but with 4ft sets under offshore winds, there were a few decent options about.

This weekend and next week (Jan 9 – 15)

Today's strong kick in SW groundswell should ease back into tomorrow morning to 2-3ft, but a strengthening small front pushing through during the morning, should produce a reinforcing SW swell for the afternoon to 2-3ft.

This swell should then ease from 2ft Sunday with smaller 1-1.5ft waves Monday morning.

Morning NW winds tomorrow should swing SW into the afternoon, with NW tending SE winds Sunday and Monday.

A small weakening mid-latitude low moving in from the west over the weekend should produce a small increase in W/SW swell for Tuesday to an inconsistent 2ft or so, but winds look to be onshore from the S/SE in the wake of a weak trough moving through Monday evening.

Into Wednesday we've got a funky and rare S/SE groundswell on the cards for the South Arm.

This will be generated by a stationary fetch of severe-gale to storm-force S/SE winds right on the polar shelf to the south of New Zealand. While not the largest area, the sheer strength should produce an inconsistent but strong long-period S/SE groundswell for Wednesday coming in at 3ft across Clifton, with larger sets at more exposed breaks to 4-5ft.

Winds look to blow fresh from the N/NE all day, creating clean conditions at selected breaks, with the swell easing Thursday with better N/NW tending W/NW winds. More on this swell and the local winds Monday. Have a great weekend!