Surf Forecasts:
Kelso (Happy Wanderers) surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, SE swell with 1,057 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s 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 11) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 1.7m and 8s is also forecast. 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 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 11s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it's a bit of a tough stretch ahead. The water temp is sitting right around average for the time of year at 71°F, so at least you won't be freezing while you're waiting for a set.
The good news is there is one standout session that could be worth a look at Kelso (Happy Wanderers). That's on Tuesday the 11th of August, in the afternoon. We've got a solid pulse of swell coming in at 6ft from the SE, and the combined energy is strong (1098). The wind is a crisp cross-off from the SSW at 12 mph, which should keep the surface clean. It's a point break, so it handles a bit of size, but this is intermediate territory. The period is short at 8 seconds, so don't expect a lot of grunt, but it's rideable. The crowds are only "sometimes" an issue, so you might get a few waves to yourself.
Now, after that little window, things get ugly. From Wednesday the 12th right through to the end of the month, we're looking at a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The wind just won't play nice, mostly staying cross-on or onshore, and the swell direction is never quite right. From Thursday the 13th through to Sunday the 16th, it's mostly messy with NE winds ruining the shape. The 17th of August shows a brief clean window with a cross-off southerly, but the swell is only 5ft and the energy is moderate (534), so it's a marginal call at best.
The real kicker is that after the 18th, the swell drops right off, with energy readings falling into the double digits a few times. There's a pulse of 7ft swell on the 19th, but it's coming from the SSW with a super short period of 7 seconds, making it a messy, bumpy affair. The end of the month sees a very long-period SSW groundswell (18 seconds) on the 24th, but the wind is howling from the NE at 19 mph, making it a total write-off for paddling – it might be more interesting for the kite crew.
So, the bottom line: your best bet, and really your only decent chance, is that Tuesday afternoon, the 11th of August. After that, park the board and find something else to do for a while.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SSW 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 19 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | NE 6 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 486 | 561 | 862 | 944 | 659 | 306 | 169 | 251 | 394 | 349 | 646 | 670 | 673 | 976 | 898 | 769 | 160 | 530 | 377 | 307 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:11PM1.63m | 3:26AM1.69m | 3:50PM1.78m | 4:03AM1.76m | 4:26PM1.87m | 4:37AM1.79m | 5:00PM1.90m | 5:09AM1.76m | 5:32PM1.87m | 5:40AM1.70m | 6:02PM1.79m | 6:09AM1.60m | 6:30PM1.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:17PM0.19m | 9:35AM0.07m | 9:57PM0.09m | 10:10AM-0.02m | 10:33PM0.05m | 10:43AM-0.06m | 11:06PM0.05m | 11:14AM-0.04m | 11:38PM0.10m | 11:44AM0.03m | 00:08AM0.18m | 12:13PM0.14m | 00:37AM0.30m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — |
mm | 5 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SSW 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | ENE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 486 | 561 | 862 | 944 | 659 | 306 | 167 | 205 | 394 | 349 | 646 | 670 | 673 | 976 | 898 | 769 | 831 | 530 | 377 | 307 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | E 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SE 10 | S 11 | SSW 5 |
| kJ | 431 | 408 | 333 | 193 | 128 | 144 | 169 | 88 | 150 | 66 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 9 | SSW 12 | SW 24 | SSW 15 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SSW 19 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 14 | S 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 12 | SW 12 | — | — | SW 6 |
| kJ | 181 | 275 | 260 | 22 | 42 | 119 | 74 | 251 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NNW 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | — | SSW 4 | NE 5 |
| kJ | — | 398 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | 5 | 36 | 27 | 44 | 41 | 41 | 160 | — | 3 | 30 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 853 | 862 | 862 | 0 | 14 | 49 | 14 | 49 | 49 | 52 | 49 | 49 | 14 | 49 | 49 | 14 | 4 | 49 | 52 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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