Southern Tasmanian Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Monday April 18th)

Best Days: Tuesday, Wednesday morning beginners, Thursday selected spots, Friday morning, Saturday, Sunday morning

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Easing W/SW groundswell tomorrow with light NW tending variable winds
• Mod-large SW groundswell for Thu with strong W/SW tending SW winds
• Easing mix of swells Fri with NW tending SW winds, smaller Sat with NW tending W winds
• Good SW groundswell Sun with W/NW tending W/SW winds

Recap

A strong pulse of new swell with variable winds and lumpy/sloppy conditions Saturday, improving as the day progressed, still 3ft yesterday morning with a bit of east in the wind. Today a trough has brought a weak change as the swell bottomed out.

This week and weekend (19 - 24)

This afternoon we're due to see an inconsistent W/SW groundswell filling in, generated by a strong though distant polar low at the end of last week. Sets to 2ft+ are due, easing back from a similar size tomorrow morning and winds look light and variable most of the day, best in the morning.

Wednesday looks nice and clean with a NW offshore ahead of a W/NW change as a cold front pushes under us.

The swell will be smaller though and back to 1ft to occasionally 2ft.

As touched on last week, a strong polar low will deliver a strong swell into the end of the week, generated by a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force W/SW winds today and tomorrow.

This fetch will be projected through our south-western swell window, with a strong kick in size due Thursday to 4-5ft across Clifton, mixed in with some localised mid-period swell as the remnants of the front pushes up and across us.

Unfortunately this front will bring strong W/SW tending SW winds on Thursday when the swell peaks, cleaner Friday morning with a NW offshore and easing sets from 3ft+ or so.

Trailing polar frontal activity will generate some reinforcing swells into the weekend, the best for Sunday, coming in at 3ft.

Conditions will generally be best in the mornings with a NW tending W breeze on Saturday and 2ft surf, W/NW Sunday morning before shifting W/SW through the day. Monday and Tuesday morning will continue to offer surf before things go a little quiet into the middle to end of next week and beyond. Therefore make the most of the coming surf.