In this week's Beach Report, Craig Holden says that after a week of gentle swimming conditions, the ocean will be a bit choppier this weekend.
Well, it has been another warm and muggy week with more scattered showers and storms as well, but we did see a change in wind direction with a light to moderate SE wind flow persisting for most of the week.
Looking ahead to the coming days, we will see this SE wind become more moderate to strong by this afternoon and then persist across the weekend, with the chance of showers and even the odd thunderstorm also continuing.
This morning’s winds will be light (around 10 knots) and from the S/SE before they gradually increase during the day to 10 to 15 knots and then to 15 to 20 knots from the E/SE by this afternoon.
Tomorrow and Sunday will then be almost identical, with S/SE to E/SE winds at around 15 knots through the mornings but then increasing to 20+ knots through the afternoons.
Swimming
The swimming conditions have been quite good during almost this entire past week with the mostly light to moderate winds keeping the ocean mild and gentle for the most part.
But unfortunately, we can expect the swimming conditions to get a little worse by this afternoon and then across the weekend as the SE winds become stronger and the ocean becomes choppier – particularly on those open and exposed beaches.
Conditions will certainly not be terrible or rough, but choppy conditions will be the norm together with a side sweep pushing along most beaches from south to north (or right to left).
The best time for a swim will either be in the very early mornings while the winds are lighter, or around mid-afternoon while the tide is higher.
The best beaches for swimmers will be Hervey Bay, Agnes Water, Nielson Park Beach and Moore Park Beach.
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 Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water, plus a rove lifeguard across the Bundaberg Region.
Weekends: 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 across the Bundaberg Region.
Please note these are minimum patrol times, some locations may have longer hours.
Surfing
Once again, it has been another lean week in terms of waves on our local beaches, with just a small window of opportunity last Sunday and Monday.
As we look ahead to today and then into the weekend, there is the slight chance of a small increase in wave heights but it will not be significant and will also likely be quite wind-effected and choppy.
The best options for finding a wave will likely be Agnes Water, Nielson Park Beach, Mon Repos and Moore Park Beach but don’t get too excited as it will be nothing special.
Try the early mornings or again from early to mid-afternoon.
For the SUP and ocean ski paddlers, there should be plenty of south to north downwind fun to be had this afternoon and then across the entire weekend as well.
For those seeking a more relaxed and gentle paddle though, you will need to get to the beach very early this morning, or else stick to the protected inland waterways.
