Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 29th April)

Best Days: Perth Saturday morning, both regions Tuesday morning, Perth Wednesday morning, South West Friday morning

Recap

Onshore building waves across the South West and locations north yesterday, peaking today to a choppy 6-8ft around Margs and 2ft up around Mandurah, with 2-3ft waves in Perth. There was no quality to be found though with fresh onshore winds.

This weekend and next week (Apr 30 – May 6)

Today's swell was generated by the first and weakest of the polar fronts pushing up and into us, with a secondary stronger system currently just off our south-west.

This will produce a larger S/SW groundswell for tomorrow morning to the 10ft+ across exposed breaks in the South West and 2-3ft around Perth with better S/SW tending S'ly winds around Margs, SE tending E/SE through the morning around Perth.

The swell is due to ease through the afternoon and further Sunday but our period of variable winds in the South West looks less likely with lingering SW'ly breezes, tending more W'ly through the day and increasing. Perth will be cleaner with offshore E/SE winds but easing 2ft sets.

A low point in swell activity is due Monday with SW winds, possibly more variable around Perth.

Our large and powerful long-period S/SW groundswell for Tuesday is still on track, with a vigorous polar low forecast to develop in the Heard Island region tomorrow evening, projecting north-east towards the Bight under the influence of the Long Wave Trough.

A fetch of severe-gale to storm-force SW winds will be generated through our south-western and then southern swell window, followed by trailing fetches of severe-gale SW winds.

A large and powerful long-period S/SW groundswell will result, filling in Tuesday and peaking through the day to 10-12ft across exposed breaks, while Perth should build to 3ft from around midday/early afternoon.

Light variable winds are due across the South West through the morning with offshore winds further north, giving into onshores into the afternoon.

The swell is then due to drop quickly through the rest of the week as onshore SW winds continue until Friday morning.

Longer term there's nothing major on the cards at all, so the windows are limited across the South West for a clean decent wave over the coming period. Have a great weekend!