Western Australia Surf Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday August 26th)

Best Days: Sunday protected spots in the South West, all day in Perth and Mandurah, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday morning, Friday

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Strong SW winds Sat with a mix of new, building swells
• XL, long-period SW groundswell filling in Sun, peaking in the PM with mod-fresh S/SW winds in the South West, easing and tending more SW, E/SE-SE tending weak sea breezey further north
• Large, easing swell Mon with variable E tending weak sea breezey winds in the South West, E/NE-NE in Perth/Mandurah, tending variable
• Light E/SE tending S/SW winds Tue
• Mod-large, reinforcing SW groundswell arriving Tue PM, easing Wed with E/SE tending variable winds
• Large SW groundswell Thu with E tending S/SW winds

Recap

Our pulse of reinforcing SW swell from off axis W/NW winds filled in nicely yesterday and a little above expectations with 3-5ft waves in the South West and 2ft sets in Mandurah, tiny across Perth. Conditions were good most of the day and we've got similar sized sets this morning with a slightly less favourable S/SE breeze in the South West.

Clean waves in protected spots this AM

This weekend and next week (Aug 27 – Sep 2)

We've got a weekend of two halves with poor, onshore surf as a strong low pushes up and across us tomorrow, with an XL SW groundswell due Sunday with improving conditions.

There'll be an increase in size tomorrow but conditions will be poor owing to a strong SW breeze.

The low will start clearing to the east on Sunday resulting in weakening, moderate to fresh S/SW tending SW winds in the South West but Perth and Mandurah should see E/SE tending weak SW winds.

Swell wise, the low bringing the onshore winds has been generating a great fetch of severe-gale to storm-force winds through our swell window through this week, and it's holding strength while projecting north-east towards us today.

The swell will come in strong from dawn Sunday and peak into the afternoon to 12-15ft across the South West magnets, 4ft in Mandurah and 3ft+ across Perth.

Monday looks cleaner and better across the South West with a morning variable breeze that will tend light offshore though the swell will still likely be a bit lumpy. Easing sets from 10ft+ are due with 3ft+ sets across Mandurah and 2-3ft waves in Perth. E/NE-NE winds are due in Perth and Mandurah, shifting more N'ly ahead of weak sea breezes.

Tuesday morning will be smaller again but a new, reinforcing SW groundswell is due into the afternoon, holding Wednesday morning. The source of this will be a great fetch of gale to severe-gale W/NW winds swinging in and under the Heard Island region on the weekend and it should push wave heights back to 6-8ft in the South West if not at that size in the morning still. Mandurah looks to offer inconsistent 2-3ft sets, 2ft across Perth on the sets. Light E/SE tending S/SW winds will see the morning being best.

Wednesday looks great as the swell eases back from a similar size with offshore E/SE tending variable winds.

Moving into Thursday a good pulse of new SW groundswell is expected from a fetch of slow moving polar W/SW gales through our swell window, to the south and then east of the Heard Island region Sunday through early next week.

Surf in the 8ft range is expected across the South West with 2-3ft waves in Mandurah, 2ft across Perth and with an E'ly offshore ahead of sea breezes. Longer term, easing surf with offshore winds is due into Friday and the weekend, with new swell possible early-mid next week. More on this Monday. Have a great weekend!