Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 19th February)

Best Days: The South West every day, biggest Sat/Sun, Mandurah tomorrow AM, Perth and Mandurah Saturday arvo and Sunday AM

Recap

Excellent waves across the region again yesterday with large sets still coming in around 8ft with strong offshore winds, 2-3ft across Mandurah and 2ft+ in Perth.

Today it's still a good size in the South West and to 4-6ft with a strong offshore wind, 2ft in Mandurah, 1-2ft in Perth.

This week and weekend (Feb 20 - 23)

We'll see the surf continuing to ease across all regions into the end of the week as favourable morning winds create great conditions.

The South West will fair the best with moderate to fresh E/SE offshore winds tomorrow morning and easing 3-5ft sets, holding 3-4ft Friday with moderate to fresh E/NE tending variable winds ahead of late sea breezes. Perth will become tiny while Mandurah should see the odd 1-2ft wave early tomorrow.

Saturday morning looks to be a low point ahead of a large building SW groundswell, upgraded from Monday.

The disjointed and unfavourable looking polar low is now forecast to be more consolidated, with it forming around the Heard island region last night.

A great pre-frontal fetch of severe-gale to storm-force W/NW winds are now being generated in our south-western swell window with a weaker trailing fetch of strong W/SW winds in our southern swell window.

While not ideally aimed towards us, the strength of the fetch should see a large sized, long-period SW groundswell arriving earlier and kicking Saturday morning and peaking later in the day, easing slowly Sunday and further Monday.

Size wise we should see 6-8ft sets into the afternoon across the South West, 2-3ft in Mandurah and 2ft+ across Perth, easing Sunday from 6ft, 2ft+ and 2ft respectively.

Locally winds look good with an E'ly offshore wind, swinging more N'ly as a deepening trough off the coast drifts south.

Sunday should see offshore breezes again as the swell eases but from the SE, similar Monday but strong and tricky.

Longer term we've got smaller levels of S/SW swell on the cards for later next week as a strong polar frontal progression pushes up and towards Victoria, but more on this Friday.