Southern Tasmania Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 19th May)

Best Days: Tomorrow morning for beginners, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Building mix of swells late tomorrow with strong W/SW winds, peaking Fri AM with a N/NW tending variable N/NE breeze
• New W/SW swell for Sat PM with N/NW tending N/NE winds, smaller Sun with N-E/NE winds
• Inconsistent W/SW groundswell for Tue with strong N winds

Recap

Plenty of swell left in the mix yesterday with easing 3ft sets across Clifton with clean conditions, back to 2ft this morning.

This week and next (May 20 - 28)

Tomorrow will likely be back to a tiny 1-1.5ft across Clifton but a strengthening frontal passage will see winds strengthen from the W/SW in our western swell window, producing a short-lived spike of W/SW swell later in the day, fading Friday.

A late spike to 2-3ft might be seen with strong W/SW winds, easing from that size Friday morning.

Also in the mix will be a better W/SW groundswell, generated by a polar low yesterday. This swell has been upgraded slightly with the fetch around the low coming in a bit better than forecast on Monday.

Size wise we should see Clifton peaking Friday morning to 3ft+ and with great N/NW tending variable N/NE winds. The swell will ease through the day and Saturday looks smaller with 2ft leftovers under persistent N/NW tending N/NE winds.

A new reinforcing W/SW swell is due Saturday afternoon to 2ft+, generated by pre-frontal W/NW gales, while a smaller fetch of W/SW winds following this should keep inconsistent 1-2ft sets rolling through Sunday before fading Monday.

Conditions will remain favourable as a slow moving high edges east resulting in N tending E/NE winds Sunday, similar Monday though fresher and N/NE tending NE, strong N Tuesday.

On Tuesday an inconsistent W/SW groundswell is due, generated in our far swell window tomorrow by a strong polar low in the Heard Island region. This low will actually bomb but be at a long distance from us and also track north-east out of our swell window.

Size wise we can expect surf to an inconsistent 2ft, with long waits between sets. Following this there may be some new swell potential later next week, but more on this Friday.