Southern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Monday 13th May)

Best Days: Every day this week and Saturday morning

Recap

A fun W/SW swell to 2-3ft on Saturday morning with light winds, much better Sunday as a strong new long-period SW groundswell filled in with 3-4ft waves in the morning, bigger into the afternoon.

This morning should have continued around 3-5ft with offshore winds, dropping in size this afternoon.

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This week and weekend (May 14 - 19)

Today's SW swell will continue easing tomorrow, replaced by a new W/SW swell, though downgraded in size since Friday.

The mid-latitude storm linked to this swell was a touch weaker than forecast on Friday and it's currently generating an unfavourable fetch of strong to gale-force W/NW winds. These will swing more favourably to the W/SW as the front passes under us this evening, with the surf expected to hang around 2-3ft tomorrow.

Another front moving in tomorrow afternoon and evening will produce a fetch of W/SW gales in our western swell window, with a trailing fetch of polar W/SW winds.

This should keep Clifton around 2-3ft on Wednesday, dropping in size from 2ft+ Thursday morning.

Winds tomorrow will be gusty and out of the W/NW, then W/NW shifting SW on Wednesday and N/NW Thursday morning ahead of sea breezes.

A new inconsistent W/SW groundswell is due on Friday, produced by a strong low that's currently east of Heard Island. A thin fetch of severe-gale W'ly winds are being generated in our western swell window, with the swell arriving overnight Thursday and peaking Friday to an inconsistent 2ft to occasionally 3ft.

Winds are looking favourable for this swell now with a N/NW tending NW breeze, offshore again Saturday morning as the swell eases.

Longer term small pulses of SW groundswell are likely early next week from small polar fronts moving through our swell window with nothing of further significance to follow. More on this Wednesday though.