Well, it has been a beautiful week of weather across our local region during this past week, with sunny skies, warm temperatures, and mostly light winds – and there have been plenty of people taking advantage of this across our local beaches too!
Now, looking ahead to today and across the weekend, the forecast does indicate that the winds will increase to be moderate in strength, although tomorrow afternoon will likely see the worst of the winds.
Generally, the early mornings will bring the lightest winds, and the afternoons will bring the stronger winds, so keep this in mind if planning a beach trip.
This morning’s winds will be from the E/SE at only around 10 knots, but they increase to around 15 knots through this afternoon.
Tomorrow will then bring S/SE winds at 10 to 15 knots through the morning, but they are then forecast to increase to 15 to 20+ knots by the afternoon.
Sunday is then looking to be slightly better, with S/SE winds through the morning at 10 to 15 knots that will increase to around 15 knots from the E/SE through the afternoon.
Swimming: The swimming conditions have been quite good throughout this past week thanks to the light winds, but we will likely see choppier conditions develop over the coming days – particularly through the afternoons, and more so on those more open and exposed beaches.
The best times for a swim over the coming days will either be from early to mid-morning when the tide is high and the winds lighter, or again from mid-afternoon onwards – but it will be quite windy through this time of day.
As mentioned earlier, the open and exposed beaches will get choppier than the protected locations, and they will also have a side current or sweep pushing from right to left across as well.
The protected beaches will therefore be the best locations for swimmers, these being – Hervey Bay, Agnes Water (adjacent to the headland), Moore Park Beach and Nielson Park.
Please check with the surf lifesavers or 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 Kelly’s Beach and Agnes Water only
Saturday – 9 am to 5 pm at Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach and Agnes Water; 1 pm to 5 pm at Elliott Heads and Moore Park Beach
Sunday – 9 am to 5 pm at Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water
Surfing: The surf conditions have been quite ordinary for most of this past week, with just the few odd windows of opportunity presenting themselves here and there.
Looking ahead to the weekend, and there is a glimmer of hope that we could see a small increase in wave heights through tomorrow and into Sunday, but with the wind forecast the way it is, we can also expect the wave quality to be quite sloppy.
The very early mornings could be worth a look for slightly cleaner conditions, and a few small, fun waves, or else try your luck through the afternoon in the hope that the winds whip up a bit more action.
Best spots will likely be Agnes Water, Nielson Park, Mon Repos and Moore Park Beach. Good luck!
For the SUP and ocean ski paddlers, the afternoons look likely to provide enough wind for a south to north downwind paddle, although Saturday afternoon may be the best timeslot.
For those seeking a gentler and more relaxed paddle, try the very early mornings in the ocean, or else stick to the protected inland waterways.
Events: Nil.
Last week's beach report: Choppy swimming conditions continue
