Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 23rd December)

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Best Days: Protected spots later Saturday and Sunday, exposed breaks Monday morning, Wednesday morning protected spots, exposed breaks Thursday

Recap

Poor onshore surf across all coasts yesterday with a kick in local windswell.

Today was cleaner and better with a building W/SW swell coming in at 3-5ft in the South West, with 1-2ft sets around Perth (1-1.5ft Mandurah).

This weekend and next week (Dec 24 - 30)

We've got some great satellite observations of the intense low currently south-west of us, with a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force (up to 55kt) winds being aimed through our swell window.

The low is currently slowly weakening while stalling nicely to our south-west, helping to draw out the longevity of the swell.

Early tomorrow morning we're due to see 3-5ft of W/SW swell from this afternoon, with the groundswell proper arriving late morning in the South West and building to 8-10ft by dark, with Perth pulsing to 2ft+.

A peak is due overnight with easing 6-8ft surf Sunday morning (possibly the odd bigger bomb at dawn) and 2ft+ in Perth.

Winds for most of the weekend look to be fresh from the S/SE, stronger Sunday leaving protected locations with the best conditions.

Monday looks better for exposed breaks with an E'ly offshore ahead of a W'ly change during the middle of the day/early afternoon.

The South West should be easing from 5-6ft or so and 1-2ft in Perth.

The onshore change through Monday will be linked to another mid-latitude low moving in from the south-west.

This system has been upgraded a little from Wednesday, with a good fetch of W/SW gales due to be generated through our swell window from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon.

A large SW groundswell is due from this low, building Tuesday afternoon, reaching 6-8ft+ across the South West by dark and 2-3ft in Perth although with S/SW winds.

Protected spots should be OK as the swell eases Wednesday with a fresh S/SE breeze.

Longer term a long-range and long-lived W/SW groundswell is due from Friday through next weekend, produced by a slow moving and distant polar low in the southern Indian Ocean. More on this Monday though.

Have a Merry Christmas and great weekend!