South Coast Forecasts?

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BudgySmuggler
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South Coast Forecasts?

Post by BudgySmuggler » Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:44 pm

Hi all,

I live in Canberra and don't get a chance to see how waves along the south coast are shaping up, and my forecasting abilities are pretty dismal.

What do you guys think are the best resources (websites) for getting south coast surf predictions? Particularly predictions which will hold a few days out and help decide which beaches to target.

Cheers

Donweather
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Re: South Coast Forecasts?

Post by Donweather » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:21 pm

nuffink ngo wrote:BOM
LO-fecking-L!!!

Seriously, you can't go past SN IMO.....although they have been skimping a little of late on detail in the medium-long range, but that's probably because the model reliability in this range has been a pig of late.

BudgySmuggler
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Re: South Coast Forecasts?

Post by BudgySmuggler » Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:46 pm

I know swellnet is good, but their forecasts for NSW are too far north.

I'm interested in the coast between Bermagui and Wollongong.

As for BOM, like i said my forecasting off charts isn't the best. I occasionally use these:

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/ ... fresh+View

And

http://www.bom.gov.au/forecasts/graphical/marine/nsw/

looking for big swell moving west on days with not too much wind.

Is there anywhere else i should be looking. I know coastwatch and swellnet are good, but i just can't find an equivalent that covers the south coast!

Beanpole
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Re: South Coast Forecasts?

Post by Beanpole » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:31 pm

Well Tony you should get your mall down to Ulludulla Bombie for a few quite ones between bike rides :D :D
Put your big boy pants on
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?

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crabmeat thompson
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Re: South Coast Forecasts?

Post by crabmeat thompson » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:33 am

Are you looking for a 2-3 day out forecast or the night before? The longer out you want, the less accurate. The planned night before is achievable with excellent accuracy. If you know what a high & low pressure system will do to your part of the coast, you can take one look at the synoptic and know within a ballpark of what and where might be surfable with wind and swell. The closer the lines on the synoptic, the higher the winds where they hit the coast.

So you'll know if there's howling northerlies, and not to bother.

I lived a little inland for a while and know the challenges in getting waves when you have to time your drive to line up with tide, wind & swells.

Personally I would look at current Wave buoy readings the night before I wanted to surf, along with current winds (willyweather.com) and forecast winds for the next day (BOM). If the current winds lined up with current forecasts, it was a good bet I'd be able to predict the wind speed and direction for the following morning.

The weather buoys would tell me current wave height, interval (wind swell or groundswell, ie if it will be getting into protected corners etc) and importantly, the swell direction.

From there, if you know the areas you want to surf, what part of the tide is best, and what wind & swell direction they are surfable in, you could plan your dawn/ early morning surf with almost as much accuracy as if you lived on the beach and checked if before dark.

I use to use surfline.com as a rough guide as to what is coming for the next 3-4 days. Navigate your way around the site and find the closest forecasts to the area you want. It'll give you a ballpark estimate as the wind direction & speed and swell height and direction for the coming few days.

It's not 100% guaranteed science ... but you'll get waves.
Kunji wrote:
Wed May 27, 2020 8:09 am
Would you mind throwing in a little more homoeroticism

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