Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Monday 31st December)

Best Days: Tuesday morning in the South West, Friday morning Mandurah and Perth, Sunday morning in the South West, Monday morning in the South West

Recap

Great waves across the South West on Saturday with a new swell and offshore winds, a bit smaller yesterday but super clean again. Mandurah was best Saturday, small to tiny into Sunday with tiny waves in Perth all weekend.

Today is smaller again but with variable winds and clean conditions across the South West magnets, tiny to the north.

Today’s Forecaster Notes are brought to you by Rip Curl

This week and weekend (Jan 1 - 6)

Wave heights will be on the up again from tomorrow with a mid-period increase in swell ahead of some stronger groundswell later in the day, peaking overnight and easing back from Wednesday.

The frontal system linked to this swell was a touch weaker than forecast on Friday but we should still see Margs building from the 4ft range early tomorrow to 5-6ft later in the day, easing from a similar size Wednesday morning.

Mandurah only looks to reach 2ft, with 1-2ft sets in Perth and winds will be best tomorrow morning (unfortunately ahead of the swell) with a SE offshore, giving into afternoon sea breezes, while Wednesday will see onshore S/SW winds in the South West, SW further north as a trough pushes in from the west.

Now as touched on last week, this trough is forecast to develop into a deep low off our coast on Wednesday, with a fetch of gale to severe-gale SW winds due to be generated right off the South West into the afternoon and evening.

This will kick up a moderate to large close-range SW swell for Thursday, building through the day to 6-8ft across the South West, 2-3ft in Mandurah and 2ft in Perth but with onshore S/SW winds.

As the low clears to the east Thursday a secondary weaker front looks to push up and into us, bringing poor onshore W/SW winds Friday morning, though Perth and Mandurah should see early S/SE breezes with easing 2ft waves in Mandurah, 1ft to maybe 2ft Perth.

Some new mid-period S/SW swell is due off the weak front projecting towards us, filling in Saturday and peaking through the afternoon to a junky 3-5ft across the South West, tiny up around Mandurah and Perth.

Conditions won't be flash at all with fresh S/SE breezes, while Sunday will be cleaner but the swell weak and easing from 3-4ft+ across the South West.

Longer term a strong polar front may generate a new long-period S/SW groundswell for Monday with great E/SE offshore winds, but more on this Wednesday. Happy New Year!