The Summer of Discontent: A Tale of Two Coasts
The summer of 2023 was a stark contrast between the coasts of Australia, with the Gold Coast experiencing a summer of discontent while Western Australia enjoyed a swell-filled season. The Gold Coast's first significant trade-swell event only arrived in March, while southern NSW surfers endured one of the most benign summers of swell in recent memory. In contrast, Western Australia had a summer of large to extra-large groundswells nearly every other week, with favorable winds and a standout run of swell across the South Australian Mid Coast.
This disparity can be attributed to the peculiar weather patterns of the year. The subtropical ridge, usually dominant during summer months, was absent, leading to a lack of easterly trade swells. Instead, Southern Ocean storms became stronger and projected further northward, resulting in large groundswells in Western Australia without the onshore winds. The Mean Sea Level Pressure anomaly chart shows lower than normal pressure south-west of the Bight and an even stronger low pressure anomaly across New Zealand, further highlighting the unusual weather patterns.
The absence of the subtropical ridge also had a significant impact on the surfing conditions. The easterly trade swells, usually a reliable source of swell, were absent, allowing Southern Ocean storms to become stronger and project further northward. This led to a summer of unseasonably light winds and manageable swells in the exposed stretches across the Sunny Coast and the beaches east of Melbourne. In contrast, the Gold Coast experienced a summer of humidity and north-easterly flow, making it difficult for surfers to find consistent swell.
The winners of this summer were the surfers in Western Australia, who enjoyed a summer of large groundswells and favorable winds. The losers were the surfers in the Gold Coast and southern NSW, who had to contend with benign conditions and a lack of consistent swell. The civil engineers in the Gold Coast, however, had a unique opportunity to rebuild and restructure the northern end of Bribie Island, a feat that could have easily come undone with just one jumped-up trade-swell hit.
As we turn the page into March, the East Coast becomes more active with easterly swell energy, but it has since dissipated, leaving us in the humid doldrums. Despite air temperatures dropping a few degrees, we haven't had a proper switch to autumn just yet. The future of surfing conditions remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the summer of 2023 was a tale of two coasts, with a stark contrast between the swell-filled season in Western Australia and the summer of discontent in the Gold Coast.
