LifestyleEarly morning is the best time to take a dip

Early morning is the best time to take a dip

early morning weather local beaches
In this week's beach report Craig Holden says the best time for a swim is early morning when there are slightly calmer conditions and the winds are lighter.

Well, last weekend was just an amazing weekend of weather and beach conditions, and this continued into Monday, but ever since then the weather has got a little worse with the moderate onshore SE winds setting in from Monday night onwards.

As we look ahead to today and across the weekend (and even into early next week) the news does not get any better for beach goers either, with the moderate SE winds expected to remain, and get even stronger as well!

The forecast is saying moderate to strong winds are here until at least Tuesday next week, along with mild temperatures, but just the very slight chance of a coastal shower.

The winds will be lighter through the very early mornings for those earl-risers, but it will not take long to strengthen each day.

Today’s forecast is for 15 to 20 knots of S/SE winds this morning that will then turn more from the E/SE and increase further to 20 to 25 knots through this afternoon.

Tomorrow and Sunday will then be quite similar, with 15 to 20 knots of S/SE to E/SE winds, that will likely gust to 20+ knots through the afternoons.

Swimming: The swimming conditions were absolutely fantastic last weekend and again on Monday this week, and for those getting to the beach through the very early mornings since then, but from mid-morning onwards the conditions have been quite choppy and messy, particularly on those open and exposed beaches.

Unfortunately for swimmers, this will also be the norm for the next few days as well – slightly calmer conditions through the very early mornings while the winds are lighter and more from the S/SE, but by mid-morning onwards the ocean will get quite choppy and messy, with a side current or sweep pushing from right to left as well, with the open and exposed beaches being worse than others.

If you are swimming, the best conditions will be in the early mornings, or else at beaches that are protected from the SE winds – Hervey Bay and Agnes Water (adjacent to the headland) will be the picks, followed by Nielson Park and Moore Park Beaches.

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: Today – 9 am to 5 pm at Kelly’s Beach & 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 and Tuesday (Anzac Day) – 9 am to 5 pm at Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water

Weekdays (excluding Tuesday) – 9 am to 5 pm at Kelly’s Beach and Agnes Water only

Surfing: The ocean has remained mostly calm and flat, with no ridable waves, up until about Tuesday, but the wave heights have started to gradually increase from about Tuesday afternoon onwards.

The size has not been fantastic, but there have been plenty of small, clean, fun waves about through the early mornings for the long-boarders since Wednesday, and messier waves through the afternoons.

Looking ahead to today and into the weekend, there should be more waves about, but they will be messy if you leave it until later in the day, and whilst the wave heights may even increase slightly, it will likely not be anything special due to the predicted swell direction.

Try the local beaches in the early mornings (Nielson Park, Mon Repos and Moore Park), or else Agnes Water later in the day. Good luck.

For the SUP and ocean ski paddlers looking for calm and gentle ocean conditions, you will need to get to the beach very early in the morning, or else stick to the protected waterways.

But for the downwind paddlers, you will have no shortage of fun from today onwards for some slick and fast south to north runs – probably wait until mid-morning or later though!

Events: Nil

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