Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

Marine (lite) Home

IDS11072

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
South Australia

Coastal Waters Forecast for South Australia

Issued at 5:44 pm CST on Wednesday 29 April 2026
for the period until midnight CST Saturday 2 May 2026.

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 strong high pressure system over the Tasman Sea will maintain a ridge across South Australia through to Friday. Northerly winds freshen on Friday ahead of a front that is forecast to move across the far west Friday afternoon, then continue across the state during the weekend. The low pressure system associated with this front is expected to cross south SA and bring a following trough across southern coasts late Sunday.

Far West Coast: WA-SA Border to Fowlers Bay

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: North to northeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots offshore in the late morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northwest to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending west to southwesterly 15 to 25 knots in the middle of the day then increasing to 20 to 30 knots in the late evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 95% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm from the late morning.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres inshore, increasing to 2 to 3 metres offshore during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. 95% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning.

Upper West Coast: Fowlers Bay to Elliston

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: North to northeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then decreasing below 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots turning west to northwesterly in the middle of the day. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. 80% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. 95% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning.

Lower West Coast: Elliston to Cape Carnot

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots turning northeasterly in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning northerly 15 to 20 knots before dawn. Winds reaching up to 25 knots offshore in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then decreasing to 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 25 knots turning northwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Northwesterly 15 to 25 knots turning westerly 20 to 30 knots during the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 2 to 2.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres, tending westerly 2.5 to 3 metres during the evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. Near 100% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning.

Central Coast

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots in the west in the late morning and early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots turning northwesterly in the late evening. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing below 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the west in the evening.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: North to northwesterly 15 to 20 knots tending west to northwesterly 20 to 30 knots during the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy. Near 100% chance of showers.

South Central Coast

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 25 knots turning northwesterly 20 to 30 knots during the morning. Seas: 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 95% chance of showers.

Upper South East Coast: Murray Mouth to Cape Jaffa

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: Northeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots turning northeasterly in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots turning northeasterly in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: North to northeasterly 20 to 25 knots turning northwesterly 15 to 25 knots during the morning. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 95% chance of showers.

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

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: East to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending northerly 15 to 20 knots before dawn. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then decreasing to 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 25 knots turning northeasterly 15 to 20 knots in the evening. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing below 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Northerly 20 to 30 knots turning northwesterly 15 to 20 knots during the afternoon. Seas: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 90% chance of showers.

Spencer Gulf

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots south of Cowell to Wallaroo during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo 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.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots turning west to northwesterly 15 to 25 knots during the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 90% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Gulf St Vincent

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: Variable below 10 knots becoming northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots near the Yorke Peninsula coast during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Port Vincent to Brighton. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 25 knots turning northwesterly during the morning. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres south of Port Vincent to Brighton. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 95% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Investigator Strait

Forecast for Wednesday 29 April until midnight

Winds: Northeasterly about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 30 April

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning northerly 15 to 20 knots before dawn. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 1 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 2 May

Winds: Northerly 15 to 25 knots turning northwesterly 20 to 30 knots during the morning. Seas: 1 to 2 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the evening. Weather: Cloudy. 95% chance of showers.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 9:30 pm CST Wednesday.

* 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.