Kelso (Happy Wanderers) Surf Break

Lat Long: 30.25° S 30.78° E

Kelso (Happy Wanderers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Kelso (Happy Wanderers) sea temperature is
21.2° C
0.1° 

Kelso (Happy Wanderers) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Kelso (Happy Wanderers) surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, SSW swell with 2,925 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with E 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Kelso (Happy Wanderers) in the next 16 days are 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 9s
Best Surf 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug)11ft (3.5m) 11s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug)11ft (3.5m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kelso (Happy Wanderers) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks at Kelso, and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burn before we get to the good stuff. The first few days are going to be a write-off, with sloppy, onshore conditions and weak energy. But hang in there, because there are a couple of windows where this place is going to light up proper.

Right off the bat, Wednesday the 19th is a washout. We’ve got a bit of swell in the water, but a moderate NE breeze is just chopping it all up. Not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 20th cleans up a touch with a cross-offshore wind, but it’s still pretty junky, and we’ve got short-period swell that’s going to be all over the place. The energy is moderate (954), but the quality just isn’t there.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are still pretty grim. The wind swings back onshore, and while Saturday morning has some clean small waves, it’s barely anything to get excited about. Saturday afternoon brings a strong SW breeze, which will be cross-off at Kelso (Happy Wanderers), but the conditions are nothing to write home about.

Now, here’s where things start to get interesting. Sunday the 23rd of August is the standout of the first week. We’re looking at a solid 8ft SSW swell with a period of 11 seconds, and that’s a lot of energy pushing in—1597 on the energy scale. The wind is a light S cross-off in the morning, which means it’s going to be clean and glassy. This is a real point break day, and the swell direction is straight in the zone for it. This is for experienced surfers, as it’s well overhead. The afternoon still has some size, but the wind swings more cross-shore and it gets a bit more shifty.

Monday the 24th will still have plenty of swell, but it’s going to be too onshore and mushy to be a top pick. The next real highlight is Sunday the 30th of August. After a week of marginal stuff and a bit of onshore slop, the morning looks excellent. We get a 8ft S swell, light SSW cross-off winds, and clean conditions. It’s got a period of 10 seconds which isn’t massive, but the energy is solid (1239). This is one for the better surfers again, but it’s got that clean, lined-up look that this point loves. It’s a shame the afternoon turns ugly with a strong ESE cross-on and a jump in energy to over 2500, which will just blow it out.

After that, things fade out quickly. The beginning of September is small and mostly messy, with an onshore breeze ruining things. The one saving grace is on the 1st of September, where we get a nice, clean, long-period SSW swell—16 seconds—but it’s only around 3ft. It’ll be perfect for a longboard if you’re keen, with light offshore winds in the morning making it glassy. But it’s a far cry from the bigger days.

So, to break it down: the two sessions to really keep an eye on are Sunday morning the 23rd and Sunday morning the 30th. Both are bigger swells at Kelso (Happy Wanderers), with clean offshore winds and top-notch conditions for a point break. They’re not for the faint-hearted, but for the experienced crew, they’ll be firing. The rest of the window is mostly choppy, onshore, and not worth the effort. Water temps are sitting pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing crazy there. Keep it simple, and don’t waste your energy on the junky days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night).

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
1
1
4
0
0
0
1
0
4
4
2
3
2
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
E
9
0.9
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
2.4
SSW
8
1.7
S
8
2.1
SSW
16
1.7
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
12
0.8
SSW
12
1.5
SSW
14
3
SSW
11
2.5
SSW
11
2.1
S
12
2.1
S
13
2
S
14
1.6
SSW
15
1.2
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
160
330
352
400
762
386
2080
989
506
246
198
850
2296
1597
1248
1514
1531
1121
739
Wind (km/h)
0
S
20
NE
25
NE
35
SSW
30
SSW
15
S
5
NW
20
NE
20
NE
15
NNE
15
NW
40
SSW
15
SW
15
S
10
SE
10
NNW
15
ENE
10
NE
10
SW
Wind State
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
on
on
off
High Tide
7:04AM1.34m
7:27PM1.35m
7:34AM1.19m
8:02PM1.19m
8:21AM1.04m
9:31PM1.04m
12:09PM0.97m
00:57AM1.08m
1:47PM1.11m
1:55AM1.23m
2:24PM1.27m
2:29AM1.37m
Low Tide
1:06AM0.42m
1:10PM0.43m
1:38AM0.56m
1:43PM0.59m
2:25AM0.71m
2:38PM0.75m
4:50AM0.80m
6:12PM0.81m
7:32AM0.69m
7:46PM0.67m
8:12AM0.53m
8:23PM0.53m
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:26
6:24
6:24
6:22
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:32
5:34
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:36
 mm
1
Temp °C
19
21
22
21
20
19
18
19
20
18
33
22
19
20
20
17
20
21
19
Feels °C
19
19
19
20
15
15
17
17
17
15
29
17
13
18
17
17
18
20
20
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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