Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Monday 11th May)

Best Days: Tomorrow, Wednesday, Saturday keen surfers, Sunday

Recap

Much better conditions and waves on Saturday with a new reinforcing S/SW swell and offshore winds across the South West, smaller and easing from 3-4ft yesterday.

Perth and Mandurah were clean and still offering 1-2ft sets surprisingly.

Today the swell has bottomed out with onshore winds in the South West, tiny and clean to the north.

This week and weekend (May 12 - 17)

Later today we should start to see some new groundswell building across the South West, with the peak in W/SW-SW energy still due tomorrow across all locations.

The swells were generated by a slow moving and persistent polar front projecting from west of Heard Island late last week, closer towards us while strengthening over the weekend.

Size wise we should see the South West peaking tomorrow to 6-8ft+, 2-3ft in Mandurah and 2ft to occasionally 3ft in Perth.

Conditions are still looking excellent as a high moves in behind today's weak front, swinging winds offshore out of the E tomorrow morning, variable into the afternoon.

Wednesday looks great as well as the swell eases under fresh E/NE tending N/NE winds, variable late afternoon again. Size wise the South West should ease back from 6ft+ sets, 2ft to possibly 3ft in Mandurah and 2ft on the sets in Perth.

The swell will become smaller Thursday as winds remain offshore across Perth and Mandurah (tiny though) with light S/SE-SE winds across the South West (not ideal).

Our next increase in swell will be long-range W/SW groundswell, with two pulses due from Friday through the weekend.

The first will be smaller and least consistent with a fetch of W/SW gales firing up south-east of South Africa, with the secondary being larger, generated by a stronger and longer lived fetch of gale to severe-gale W'ly winds projecting from the south-east of South Africa, east, before weakening once east of Heard Island.

The first swell should kick later Friday but peak Saturday, with the secondary swell building later Saturday and peaking Sunday.

There'll also be some good SW energy in the mix later Saturday and Sunday from the remnants of the frontal progression firing up south-west of us late week.

Size wise Saturday's swell looks to be an inconsistent 5-6ft, with the larger swell providing 6-8ft sets Sunday across the South West. Mandurah should see 2ft waves Saturday, 2-3ft Sunday, touch smaller in Perth.

Conditions are a bit suss Saturday with strong SE winds, much better Sunday with E-E/NE offshores, but more on this Wednesday.