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Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

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IDS11072

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
South Australia

Coastal Waters Forecast for South Australia

Issued at 3:40 am CDT on Thursday 11 December 2025
for the period until midnight CDT Saturday 13 December 2025.

Please be aware
Wind and wave forecasts are averages. Wind gusts can be 40 per cent stronger than the forecast, and stronger still in squalls and thunderstorms. Maximum waves can be twice the forecast height.

Warning Information

For latest warnings go to www.bom.gov.au, subscribe to RSS feeds, call 1300 659 210* or listen for warnings on relevant TV and radio broadcasts.

Weather Situation

A ridge of high pressure persists over southern SA, before the high centre moves eastwards over the Tasman Sea late today. A trough of low pressure is expected to move eastwards across the SA waters on Friday. Another ridge of high pressure will move over the south during the weekend.

Far West Coast: WA-SA Border to Fowlers Bay

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots inshore early in the morning. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. 1st Swell: Southeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres inshore, increasing to 1 to 2 metres offshore. 2nd Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: The chance of a thunderstorm offshore early this morning. Mostly sunny afternoon.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore by early evening. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres. 2nd Swell: Southeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm in the late afternoon and evening.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres. 2nd Swell: South to southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Upper West Coast: Fowlers Bay to Elliston

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots south of Streaky Bay early in the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres offshore. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. 2nd Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm during the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending southerly 15 to 20 knots in the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre during the morning, then increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres. 2nd Swell: Southerly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Lower West Coast: Elliston to Cape Carnot

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Strong Wind Warning for Thursday for Lower West Coast

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 30 knots offshore early in the morning. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1.5 metres around midday. 2nd Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm during the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly 15 to 20 knots in the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre during the morning, then increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. 2nd Swell: Southerly 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to around 1 metre during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Central Coast

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Strong Wind Warning for Thursday for Central Coast

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 30 knots in the west early in the morning. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres around midday. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1.5 metres later in the evening. 2nd Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny. The chance of a thunderstorm during the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly 15 to 20 knots during the morning and early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon. 2nd Swell: Southerly 1 to 1.5 metres, tending southeasterly below 1 metre during the evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

South Central Coast

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: East to southeasterly 15 to 25 knots decreasing to 10 to 15 knots in the late evening. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres around midday. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable below 10 knots in the early morning then becoming southerly 15 to 20 knots in the middle of the day. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. 2nd Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the morning. 1st Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. 2nd Swell: Southerly 1 to 1.5 metres, tending southeasterly around 1 metre during the afternoon. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Upper South East Coast: Murray Mouth to Cape Jaffa

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending east to northeasterly before dawn then shifting south to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots in the middle of the day. Seas: Around 1 metre, decreasing below 0.5 metres during the morning, then increasing to around 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Lower South East Coast: Cape Jaffa to SA-VIC Border

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: East to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots south of Beachport in the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres south of Beachport around midday. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: Easterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable below 10 knots in the morning then becoming southerly 10 to 15 knots in the late afternoon. Winds reaching up to 20 knots offshore early in the morning and again in the late evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1.5 metres around midday. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning west to southwesterly during the afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Beachport during the evening. Swell: Southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Spencer Gulf

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots south of Cowell to Wallaroo early in the morning. Winds tending south to southeasterly in the evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre during the morning. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm during the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Strong Wind Warning for Friday for Spencer Gulf

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots in the early morning then becoming southerly 15 to 20 knots in the middle of the day. Winds reaching up to 30 knots north of Cowell to Wallaroo in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to around 1 metre south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 1 to 2 metres. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to around 1 metre south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Gulf St Vincent

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots near the Yorke Peninsula coast in the evening. Winds tending east to southeasterly below 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny. The chance of a thunderstorm north of Port Vincent to Brighton during the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming southerly 15 to 20 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Investigator Strait

Forecast for Thursday 11 December until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Friday 12 December

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots in the morning then becoming southerly 15 to 20 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 13 December

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly 10 to 15 knots during the evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the morning. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 9:30 am CDT Thursday.

* Calls to 1300 numbers cost around 27.5c incl. GST, higher from mobiles or public phones. Marine forecasts are also available on VHF and HF radio. View the radio schedule on www.bom.gov.au/marine

Check the latest Coastal Waters Forecasts for information on wind, wave and weather conditions for neighbouring coastal zones.