LifestyleChoppy and messy conditions expected

Choppy and messy conditions expected

choppy and messy conditions
Craig Holden says looking ahead to today and across the weekend, choppy and messy conditions will develop across the weekend as the onshore winds increase

Well, we kicked off this week with more warm temperatures and very humid conditions, and a little bit of stormy weather too, but generally it has certainly been a reasonable week of beach weather – and slightly cooler conditions arrived yesterday morning too! 

Swimming

Swimming conditions have been pretty good for the most part this week, with just a little bit of ocean chop to contend with.

Looking ahead to today and across the weekend, we can expect to see choppy and messy conditions develop across the weekend as the onshore winds increase, and more so on the open and exposed beaches, but before they do, you will be greeted by fantastic swimming conditions this morning while the winds remain super-light.

For the weekend, the early mornings will provide the calmest swimming conditions while the winds are lighter, but mid-afternoon will provide high tide conditions – it is just that it will be quite windy by then, with choppy and messy conditions to contend with.

All beaches will provide great swimming conditions this morning, but by this afternoon and across the weekend, beaches that provide some protection from the SE winds will be slightly better – Hervey Bay, Agnes Water, Moore Park Beach and Nielson Park Beach probably being the better options.

Please check with the lifeguard on duty, read any safety signage or messages, and most importantly please swim only at patrolled beaches, only between the red and yellow flags, and only during patrol times – remember, if we can’t see you, we can’t save you.

Beach patrols

Weekdays – 9 am to 5 pm at Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water, plus a rove lifeguard operating in the Bundaberg Region.

Saturday and Sunday – 9 am to 5 pm at Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water, plus a rove lifeguard operating in the Bundaberg Region. Please note: Operational hours may differ at certain beaches, with patrol hour extensions from 8 am to 6 pm.

Surfing

Yet again, there has not been a lot of joy for local board-riders during this past week, which unfortunately seems to have the norm over the past month or so.

Looking ahead to today and across this weekend, the forecast does get slightly better for board-riders, but we can also expect conditions to get messier as well as those onshore winds increase across the weekend.

As the winds increase through this afternoon and into the weekend, we should start to see a gradual increase in wave heights.

My suggestion would be to try the early mornings over the weekend for cleaner conditions, or else around early to mid-afternoon on the incoming tide. Agnes Water Nielson Park, Moore Park Beach and Mon Repos should once again be the better options. Good luck.

For the SUP and ocean ski paddlers, it does appear that there will be plenty of wind about for a slick south to north downwind paddle through both Saturday and Sunday afternoon, but for those looking for a more relaxed and gentler paddle in the ocean, I would certainly suggest heading down this morning, or again very early tomorrow morning.

Events

The Elliott Heads SLSC will be hosting their annual Christmas raffles and ham wheel this Sunday afternoon at 4 pm at the surf club – tickets will be on sale from 3 pm.

Other news:

LATEST NEWS

>