Sydney Hunter Illawarra Surf Forecast by James Casey (issued Friday 9th April)

Best Days: From mid morning Saturday. Sunday mid morning with SW winds and a building S swell. Tuesday next week with light NW winds and an easing S swell. 

Outlook:

• Moderate S swell for Saturday with improving winds
• Larger S swell to build into Sunday afternoon and peak later on Monday
• Light NW winds and easing S swell on Tuesday 
• Long range flukey S groundswell for Thursday 

Recap

The S swell starting faded out on Thursday as a new E/NE swell built to become the dominant swell. By yesterday afternoon there were 3-4ft sets out of the NE on offer with just the odd set out of  the S acting more as a background swell source. 

Winds were light and offshore early in the day before swinging around to the SE late run the day but remaining light, just creating a bit of bump to it. 

Today winds are offshore bringing clean conditions with a combination of the 3-4ft E/NE swell and a lingering S swell. Nice waves to be had at plenty of locations.

Into the weekend and start of next week

The E/NE swell will continue to be the dominant source of swell into this afternoon. Winds will remain offshore for most of the day before a strong S change rolls through later in the day.

This S change will bring an end to the nice conditions experienced for most of the day. It looks to arrive around 4pm for the Illawarra, around sunset for Sydney and later in the evening for the Hunter.

Saturday morning will be a bit bumpy from the strong S winds overnight but it will clean up from mid morning as winds ease and swing around to the W/SW and remain that way into the afternoon. Swell wise there’ll still be the E/NE swell around but the main energy source will be a shorter period S swell will be whipped up from the short lived S change moving up the coast. It'll be 2-3ft and more like 3ft+ for the Hunter, best for your local S swell magnet. 

Another stronger SW change will move through on Sunday with the air temperature becoming noticeably cooler but keeping things relatively clean out there. Sunday morning wil be the low point in the swell with just bit and pieces of the S and E/NE swell hanging around. 

By the late afternoon a solid S swell will have filled in not quite at it’s peak but around the 3-5ft mark. The swell will reach it’s peak on Monday afternoon up around the 5-6ft mark, larger at S swell magnets and smaller in protected southern corners.  

This larger S swell will be generated to the southwest of Tassie and continue to be reinforced by more local S winds east of Tassie and up the entire east coast. 

The swell will still be solid on Tuesday morning but it will begin to gradually ease throughout the day, dropping to 3-4ft by the afternoon. Winds will be lighter in the morning out of the NW before strengthening out of the NE into the afternoon. This will allow you to make the most of what’s left of the S swell at S facing beaches are cleaner with the N winds. 

Later next week

Wednesday will see winds swing around to the NW and strengthen before another strong S change moves in on Thursday. 

Swell wise there'll be a pulse of S/SE swell delivering 3-4ft waves on Wednesday easing to 2-3ft sets on Thursday. 

This swell will be whipped up by an intensification of winds on the backside of the front. 

Winds on Thursday will be more SW earlier in the day before swinging around to the S and then SE later in the day. 

Friday will see winds light and onshore early before strengthening out of the NE ahead of yet another SW change to fill in later in next weekend. More on that on Monday.