Kelso (Happy Wanderers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Lookin’ at the next couple of weeks for Kelso (Happy Wanderers), and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year—nothing too wild, just a touch on the balmy side.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a write-off. We’ve got a solid 13ft swell from the SSW on Friday, 24 July, but the wind is howlin’ at 28 mph from the same direction, making it a cross-off mess. The wave energy is right up there (2794), but it’s just too blown out to be any fun. Same story Friday afternoon—10ft, still cross-off winds. Not worth paddlin’ out.

Saturday, 25 July, drops down to 4ft early, but the wind is cross from the SSE, and the period jumps to a very long 15 seconds—clean-looking but a bit tricky for a point break. It’s a “marginal” call with a score of 2, so keep your expectations low. The energy is still decent (1234), but not a standout.

Sunday, 26 July, forget it. Onshore winds from the NE at 16 mph, choppy, and the swell drops to 4ft. That’s a zero on the scoreboard.

Now, we’ve got a dry spell from Monday, 27 July through to Tuesday, 28 July. The swell dips to the 2ft to 3ft range, with weak energy (157 to 898). The winds are cross-off on Tuesday, but the size is just not there. Wednesday, 29 July, looks promising at first glance—8ft on Wednesday morning from the S, with a period of 9 seconds, and cross-off wind. But the score is still a 2. The real spark comes Wednesday afternoon: 8ft, SSW, with a clean offshore wind from the SW at 19 mph. The energy is strong (1551), and the wind is fresh offshore, making it clean. This is the best slot in the first week, but it’s still a “marginal” call, so I’d call it a hopeful window rather than a sure thing.

Thursday, 30 July, keeps the momentum: 10ft from the SE on Thursday morning, with a 11-second period, cross-off wind, and energy at 2123. The score is a 3—our highest so far. Thursday afternoon drops to 8ft but still clean. The swell direction is SE, which is a bit off the optimum S, but with those sizes and clean conditions, it’s your best bet for the first week.

After that, it’s a slow slide. Friday, 31 July, sees 7ft, but the wind turns onshore, and the energy drops to 1104. Scores fall to 2. The first weekend of August (1st and 2nd) is poor—onshore winds, choppy, and the swell fades to 6ft then 4ft by Sunday afternoon. From Monday, 3 August, through to Thursday, 7 August, the swell barely breaks 3ft, with weak energy (99 to 293) and mostly cross-on winds. It’s a barren run.

The very tail end of the outlook, Saturday, 8 August, gives us a little flicker: 8ft from the SSW on Saturday afternoon, but with a short period of just 7 seconds and cross-off wind. The energy jumps to 1098, and the score is a 2. It’s surfable, but the short period means it’ll be crumbly and messy.

So, the standout is Thursday, 30 July—10ft from the SE, clean cross-off wind, and that energy (2123) is the peak of the run. Wednesday afternoon, 29 July, is a close second with that offshore wind. For the rest, it’s mostly a waiting game. If you’re keen, paddle out Thursday, 30 July, for the best chance at a decent wave. The crowds at Kelso are “sometimes” an issue, so you might get lucky and have it to yourself.

Rusty

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