Top tips for planning your weekend at the beach

Great news for the region’s beach-goers but experienced surfers might be feeling lukewarm about conditions

WEEKEND BEACH PATROLS: A lifeguard at Agnes Water Main Beach. Photo: Liana Walker.

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions lightening, if you are at the beach, please maintain the social/physical distancing minimum guidelines and abide by the current group gathering guidelines as well.

WEATHER

Well, the weather forecast is looking pretty constant over the coming days, with sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine along with only light to moderate winds, which is great news for beach-goers.

Maximum temperatures will also remain quite mild through today and tomorrow, but those minimums will start to get cool again over the next day or two before we get another wintery blast by Sunday and see those single figure minimums again probably until Tuesday - so don't put the blankets away just yet!

Today's winds will be from the W/SW this morning at only around 5 to 10 knots before they swing more from the N/NW by this afternoon and just creep up to about 10 to 15 knots. Tomorrow will then bring W/SW winds at 10 to 15 knots and these will just once again start to swing more from the W/NW through the late afternoon.

Sunday will then bring cooler S/SW winds at 10 to 15 knots.

SWIMMING

With a promising weather forecast, the swimming conditions across all local beaches should be fantastic over the coming days, and particularly so through the mornings while the winds are lighter and offshore.

If anything, this afternoon's forecast northerly winds may just cause choppy conditions on those beaches that face in a northerly direction, so for this afternoon, consider Elliott Heads and Kelly's Beach as your better options.

Outside of this though, all beaches will have great swimming conditions for the most part across the weekend and into early next week as well.

The best time to hit the beach for a swim will be from mid-morning through until around midday if you want to find those high tide conditions.

If you are going for a swim, please check with the 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 & weekdays - None

Saturday & Sunday - 9.00am to 5.00pm @ Kelly's Beach & Agnes Water ONLY

SURFING

It has been a bit of a mixed week in terms of waves across our local beaches with a mostly flat start to the week before those gusty northerly winds whipped up some messy but moderate waves through Wednesday and into Thursday - Thursday morning was actually super fun with the light winds and residual swell from the day before!

Looking ahead though, the wave heights have dropped quickly from yesterday and will more than likely remain quite small into today and tomorrow as well.

Sunday may just throw up some slightly bigger waves but with the swell direction to be from the South by then, we will more than likely not see much of it hitting our local beaches.

As per usual, keep an eye on conditions because things can and do change quickly.

EVENTS

None

Craig Holden, Regional Operations Manager Surf Life Saving Queensland