Surf Forecasts:
Kelso (Happy Wanderers) surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, S swell with 4,743 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) this week:
The surf forecast for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kelso (Happy Wanderers) in the next 16 days are 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up over the next couple of weeks for Kelso (Happy Wanderers). The early part of the window actually shapes up alright, but then we hit a long, frustrating lull before things might get interesting again much later on.
The week starts off promising. Tuesday the 25th is okay, with a clean 4ft swell from the SSW, but it’s a bit marginal with a moderate cross-off breeze. Not a standout, but a session to get wet. The real highlight looks to be Wednesday the 26th morning. That’s your window to paddle out. We’re seeing a solid 6ft SSW groundswell with an 18-second period and moderate cross-off winds. The water temp is sitting right on 70°, which is dead average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. That swell is packing moderate wave energy (1907) and it’s pointing right for the break. This is going to be clean, powerful, and the kind of session that gets your heart pumping. This is the one to circle on your calendar. Be aware, though, with that long period it might be a little straight at times, but Kelso is a point, so it should handle it beautifully. The afternoon sees that swell build to 8ft, but the wind swings around into a light cross, so the quality drops a notch.
After Wednesday, it’s a grim run. From Thursday the 27th morning through to the 1st of September, the forecast is pretty much a write-off. We’re talking over a week of onshore winds and poor conditions. It’s a big gap with nothing to recommend.
Actually, there is a flicker of life on the evening of Monday the 1st of September, but the swell is messy and the quality rating is bad. Leave it.
We do see a period with some very significant swell around the 4th and 5th of September, with heights hitting 13ft to 15ft. That’s well into expert-only territory, and the wind is blowing right onshore from the NE. The energy numbers are huge (3845 on the 4th afternoon), so the ocean will be thumping, but it’s going to be an absolute washing machine. Honestly, at that size with that wind, it’s looking more like a kite surfing setup than a paddle session. Not for the faint of heart or those without a kite.
So the takeaway: jump on Wednesday the 26th morning for the best conditions on offer. After that, you’ve got a lot of waiting until the big, messy stuff shows up, and even then, it’s a gamble on the wind turning.
Stay frothy,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Wed night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 706 | 1377 | 1327 | 1907 | 3327 | 4056 | 1531 | 1034 | 663 | 374 | 356 | 225 | 295 | 184 | 70 | 40 | 23 | 206 | 170 | 509 | 296 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:52PM1.43m | 2:58AM1.51m | 3:19PM1.58m | 3:25AM1.62m | 3:44PM1.71m | 3:51AM1.71m | 4:10PM1.81m | 4:18AM1.76m | 4:36PM1.87m | 4:45AM1.78m | 5:04PM1.89m | 5:13AM1.75m | 5:32PM1.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:41AM0.38m | 8:53PM0.39m | 9:06AM0.24m | 9:20PM0.26m | 9:31AM0.12m | 9:47PM0.16m | 9:57AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.08m | 10:22AM-0.02m | 10:42PM0.04m | 10:49AM-0.04m | 11:11PM0.04m | 11:17AM-0.01m | 11:40PM0.09m | |||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 706 | 1377 | 1327 | 1907 | 3327 | 4056 | 1531 | 1034 | 663 | 374 | 356 | 225 | 295 | 184 | 70 | 1067 | 821 | 406 | 243 | 221 | 199 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — | — | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | SSE 16 | S 15 | SW 11 | — | SW 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 45 | 32 | 15 | 7 | — | — | — | 129 | 130 | 81 | 86 | 221 | 19 | — | 4 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 141 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 5 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | — | SW 14 | SW 10 | SW 13 | SE 13 | SW 15 | — | SE 6 |
| kJ | 6 | 4 | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 9 | — | 31 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | S 4 | SSW 4 | — | — | E 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | — | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSW 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 14 | 14 | — | — | 87 | 261 | 798 | 889 | 906 | 1318 | 1125 | 1035 | 1703 | 1564 | — | 83 | 206 | 170 | 509 | 296 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 187 | 204 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 647 | 647 | 358 | 353 | 460 | 353 | 383 | 505 | 171 | 158 | 354 | 0 | 50 | 87 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Kelso (Happy Wanderers) surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Kelso (Happy Wanderers) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Kelso (Happy Wanderers) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Kelso (Happy Wanderers) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Kelso (Happy Wanderers)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Kelso (Happy Wanderers) is 5 km (3 miles) from Scottburgh. If you plan a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Scottburgh. Scottburgh has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest