Southern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 25th Januar)

Best Days: Saturday keen surfers, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning

Recap

Tiny surf yesterday while today a new small swell due across the coast has come in way above expectations. Whether this is some new S/SE groundswell is a likely possibility as Cape Sorell has bottomed out.

Today’s Forecaster Notes are brought to you by Rip Curl

This weekend and next week (Jan 26 – Feb 1)

Into the weekend we're expected to see the strongest pulse of S/SE groundswell filling in, generated by a polar fetch of gale to storm-force S/SE winds the last couple of days.

We should see Clifton building to a strong 3-4ft tomorrow afternoon, easing from a similar though slightly smaller 3ft to possibly 4ft.

Winds are still looking average tomorrow morning and out of the W/SW, giving into S/SE sea breezes.

Sunday is the pick though with a N/NW offshore, swinging more W/NW into the afternoon.

There may be a small 1-2ft wave leftover Monday morning with a N/NW offshore.

As the S/SE groundswell fades some new W/SW swell should be on the build, increasing Monday afternoon ahead of better pulse on Tuesday, which has been upgraded since our last forecast.

A series of mid-latitude fronts are due to move through our western swell window, the first being very west in nature and only likely to produce 1-2ft of W/SW swell Monday afternoon.

A stronger and deepening low just west-southwest of us is forecast to generate a stronger and more favourably aligned fetch of severe-gale W/NW winds, with tight storm-force W'ly breezes.

This should produce a stronger and larger increase in W/SW groundswell to 3ft through the afternoon across Clifton, though a morning N/NW offshore is likely to give into S/SE sea breezes.

A N'ly breeze is then likely as the swell eases Wednesday morning.

Longer term we may see a deepening mid-latitude low right under us, bringing a windy increase in swell later week/next weekend, but more on this Monday. Have a great weekend!