Kelso (Happy Wanderers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks at Kelso. Water’s sittin’ at 72°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

We kick off Sunday the 2nd with 10ft of south-east swell, but the wind’s cross-off from the south-southwest, and the energy’s crankin’ (2529). It’s clean enough, but the tide’s messing with it—a bit marginal. Not the day to be first out. Monday the 3rd drops to 7ft with a cross wind, light airs—still soft and messy. Tuesday’s a total write-off: onshore northeasterly, 5ft, poor all day. Wednesday’s down to 3ft and onshore. The next few days stay weak—around 2ft to 3ft—with a couple of clean moments, but honestly, it’s flat-out small. Thursday morning has a fresh cross-off with a 17-second groundswell, but it’s tiny, and Friday morning’s glassy but dead. That’s the lull, folks. Nothing worth paddling for until the weekend.

Now, here’s where it picks up. Sunday the 9th sees a new pulse: 8ft of south-southwest swell, but the period’s a short 8 seconds, so it’s lumpy. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze and the energy jumps to 2230—better, but still just average. Monday the 10th brings 5ft with offshore winds in the afternoon, clean but small. Tuesday’s got strong offshore (22 mph) but only 2ft—not worth the effort.

Then Wednesday the 12th hits hard. A big south-southwest swell, 16ft, with energy screaming at 9210, but the wind’s a near gale—this is a beast for experts only. The period’s 14 seconds, so there’s real power, but at this size, it’s intimidating. By Thursday the 13th it’s still 15ft from the south, but the wind’s cross and onshore in the afternoon—messy and dangerous.

Here’s the standout, and it’s a beauty. Friday the 14th, afternoon: the swell’s settled to 10ft from the south-east, period 11 seconds, and the wind flips offshore from the southwest at just 6 mph. Energy’s still strong (2059), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the fortnight—clean, powerful, and at a point break like Kelso, that offshore wind will groom it into proper walls. If you’ve got the skill, be there.

After that, it fades. Saturday the 15th has 6ft from the south-east with a fresh cross-off, but it’s dropping. Sunday onwards is small, 3ft or less, with onshore winds and weak energy. That’s it for the window—don’t hold your breath for the last four days.

So, the call: if you’re experienced, mark Friday afternoon the 14th on your calendar. It’s the real deal. The rest is either too small, too onshore, or too big and wild for most. The point’s fairly consistent, so it won’t stay flat long, but this run’s all about waiting for that one window.

Rusty, signing off.

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