Western Australia Surf Forecast by Steve Shearer (issued Mon October 24th)

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Small surf Tues with SW-S winds
• Late kick in size Wed PM with winds tending SSE
• Solid pulse in SW swell Thurs with offshore winds AM, easing through Fri
• Small/mod pulse Sat, with an increase Sun PM
• Mod SSW pulse Mon with SE-S winds
• Mod pulses continue next week with a possible quiet spell first week of Nov

Recap

Pumping surf over the weekend with Sat coming in hot with solid 8ft+ sets in the SW corner, smaller 3ft in Mandurah and 2-3ft in Perth. Conditions were clean under offshore E’ly winds, which tended to seabreezes around lunch-time. Sunday dropped but was still solid with 4-6ft surf between the Capes, smaller 2-3ft in Mandurah, 2ft in Perth. Conditions were clean under E/NE winds which tended light S’ly through the day. Today is much smaller with 2-3ft leftovers around Margarets with side shore S’ly winds. 

This weekend and next week (Oct 21 - 28)

No great changes to this week’s f/cast. We’re expecting a small bump in swell tomorrow from a front which decayed as it passed below WA but no great size is expected- just a few 4ft sets between the Capes and with winds out of the SW it doesn’t look worth working around.

The next swell is already en route, generated by an intense polar low that had areas of storm force winds embedded in a large gale force fetch as it passed through Heard Island Sun/Mon (see below). A large area of 30ft seas was generated between 40-50S as it tracked into the medium range swell window before being shunted S.]

We’re expecting long period forerunners Wed with a bigger increase later in the a’noon, with winds tending SSE as high pressure slips below the state.

Thurs should be pumping with offshore winds and long period SW swell in the 8ft+ range, bigger on deepwater exposed reefs between the Capes with size in the 3ft+ range in Mandurah, 2-3ft in Perth. Expect lighter SW-S inshore sea breezes.

Plenty of leftover swell Fri morning with sets still to 5-6ft in the SW, smaller 2-3ft in Mandurah, 2ft in Perth with offshore winds tending SSE through the day. 

Smaller disturbances track behind this main storm system, through the week, holding surf in the 3ft range Sat with SE winds.

A  kick in more SSW angled swell is expected Sun a’noon, as a system flares up as it passes underneath WA Sat and tracks NE towards the bight. That increase continues into Mon with sets to 6ft expected in the SW, smaller 2ft in Mandurah and 1-2ft in Perth. Winds looks to be SSE-S as a high pressure ridge approaches the state. 

More SW swell in the 5-6ft range is expected through mid next week as further frontal activity occurs in the WA swell window early next week.

A more major blocking pattern may set up later next week and into the first week of November, suggesting a period of smaller surf from next weekend. Check back Wed and we’ll see how this is shaping up.