Sydney Hunter Illawarra Surf Forecast by James Casey (issued Wednesday 14th April)

Best Days: Thursday. Monday and Tuesday next week.

Outlook:

• Thursday easing swell, offshore winds
• Friday S change bit bumpier
• Saturday 4-6ft with brief SW winds early but tending E/SE 
• Sunday light winds and waves in the 3ft range
• Monday 3ft+ with offshore winds
• Tuesday 3-4ft with reinforcing S swell offshore winds

Recap

There’s been a fair bit of up and down in the swell of late. Monday afternoon the swell really jumped with some solid sets on dark. Tuesday morning it had eased a fair bit but there were still solid 6ft+ sets hanging around but it eased throughout the day. Winds were light and offshore with some unrelatedly conditions on offer.

This morning the swell has really eased, winds are light and offshore but it is only 2-3ft but with light NW winds conditions are nice.  

The end of the week and weekend

This afternoon, expect to see a pulse of S/SE swell with waves up around the 4-5ft mark. This swell will orginate out of a burst of winds around a low at the base of the front linked to Monday's swell. Offshore winds will swing around to the N/NW later in the day so S facing beaches will be getting the most swell and the best surface conditions. Open beaches will be clean enough as well with southern corners getting a little bumpy late. 

Tomorrow the swell will begin to ease from 3-4ft in the morning to and generally be around the 2-3ft by the afternoon. Again with offshore winds there’ll be plenty of options around. Later in the afternoon winds will swing around to the N but remain light as a S change approaches for Friday

Friday will be much cooler, with cloudy skies, showers and fresh to strong S winds. Early it’ll be more SW but by mid morning the S change will make most spots bumpy with southern corners your best bet for cleaner waves.

Wave wise it’ll be one of the smallest mornings of the week around the 2ft mark but it won’t stay small for long. Strong winds south of Tassie will direct a swell up towards our coast building to a bumpy 3-4ft on Friday afternoon and peaking on Saturday around 4-5ft.

Unfortunately winds don’t look like going offshore for long enough to clean things up until Sunday with Saturday having brief SW winds early before tending E/SE later in the day. 

Sunday early it’ll be SW before swinging around to the S through the E to NE in the early evening. Waves will be in the 3ft range. 

Next week

Strong frontal activity to the south and west of Tassie will deliver a couple of swells. The first to arrive Monday early and the second to arrive by Tuesday morning. 

Winds will go offshore on Monday morning and with the new S swell there’ll be some nice 3ft+ waves on offer. A NE breeze will pick up in the afternoon making it a bit bumpy at most spots but S facing beaches will pick up all the swell and have cleaner conditions.

A reinforcing swell will arrive early on Tuesday morning and be a bit bigger. It’ll be up around the 3-4ft mark and with light offshore winds all day it’ll be a good day of waves. 

The swell will ease into Wednesday with a little E swell on Thursday and signs of yet another S swell for Friday. Winds will be offshore on Wednesday and Thursday before a S change looks to move through on Friday.

Tune in on Friday for an update on the forecast.