Southern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 12th March)

Best Days: Tomorrow ahead of the change, beginners Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Easing SW swell tomorrow with fresh N/NE tending N/NW winds ahead of a strong, late afternoon S/SW change
• Tiny windswelly swell Sun with W/NW-NW winds
• Building swell later Mon with strong S/SW winds ahead of a strong SW groundswell Tue with light to moderate W/SW tending S/SE winds
• Easing swell Wed with N winds and S/SE sea breezes

Recap

Tiny, clean waves ideal for beginners yesterday but today we've got our new SW groundswell on the build, 1-2ft this morning but we should see it reach 2ft to possibly 3ft this afternoon (Cape Sorell looks healthy) and winds look to remain favourable and variable. Even strengthening from the N'th into the evening.

This weekend and next week (Mar 13 - 19)

Today's building SW groundswell will ease back through tomorrow, with 2ft sets due across Clifton under a fresh N/NE tending N/NW breeze, easing and tending W/NW ahead of a strong, late afternoon S/SW change.

This change is weak and short-lived with no major size expected off it at all. It might just keep 1-2ft waves hitting Clifton Sunday but more so 1-1.5ft.

The surf will remain tiny into Monday morning, but we've now got an upgrade in the groundswell due Tuesday.

A strengthening polar front is now due for form into a low as it pushes closer to us on the weekend, with a great fetch of gale-force W/SW winds due to reach severe-gale around the lows core.

We'll see this generate a moderate-large SW groundswell for Tuesday, with Monday afternoon seeing a building swell 2ft or so but with a strengthen S/SW change after morning N/NW breezes.

This change will be linked to a weak front moving through, with sets to 1-2ft due to persist Sunday under all day offshore NW tending W/NW winds as a stronger front edges in from the west.

Size wise, the swell should fill in Tuesday and peak late morning through the afternoon with sets to 4-5ft across Clifton but with light to moderate W/SW winds ahead of S/SE sea breezes. The direction isn't great but there'll be options with the lightish winds.

Wednesday looks great with a N'ly offshore and easing swell from 3ft or so ahead of sea breezes.

Longer term we'll be looking at small to tiny surf though there's the possibility for one decent pulse of groundswell from a polar low late week. More on this Monday. Have a great weekend!