Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s get into it.

The outlook for Ketewel (Bali) is a frustrating one over the next 16 days. The swell is there, pushing through from the SSW, but the wind is the problem almost every session. The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is about 1° warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just a touch above average.

We start off on Friday, the 31st of July, with the first session. It’s a tough one – 4ft of SSW swell at a long 17 seconds, with a cross-on ESE wind of 12 mph. The combined energy is a solid 1273, but it’s messy and choppy. Poor conditions. The afternoon doesn’t improve, with a cross-onshore wind and more poor surf.

Moving into Saturday, the 1st of August, the swell picks up a bit to 5ft, still SSW, period holding at 16 seconds. The wind is still cross-on from the SE at 9 mph, and the energy jumps to 1196. It’s marginal, and the tide is questionable. The afternoon sees a slightly bigger 5ft with a light cross-on breeze, but it’s still only a marginal prospect.

Sunday, the 2nd of August, brings a cleaner look with a 6ft SSW swell and an onshore SE wind of 9 mph in the morning. The combined energy is now 1970, but the wind is onshore, making it tough. Afternoon has a similar size with a light cross-on, but it’s still marginal.

This pattern continues through the first week – the swell builds gradually, hitting 8ft by Friday, the 7th, with energy up to 2990, but the wind stays cross-onshore or onshore from the SE, keeping the waves lumpy and uninviting. By Saturday, the 8th, the swell is 8ft at 16 seconds, but the wind is onshore, and the surf remains marginal.

The standout window, if you can call it that, is around Tuesday, the 11th of August. The swell jumps to a beefy 12ft from the SSW with a period of 18 seconds, and the combined energy rockets to 6533 – that’s a lot of power. But the wind is still cross-onshore from the ESE at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. For an advanced spot like Ketewel, this is expert-only territory, and the wind is going to ruin it. The water will be a washing machine. This is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, to be honest.

The following days, from the 12th to the 15th of August, the swell remains solid, between 7ft and 12ft, with periods around 14 to 17 seconds. The wind finally eases off, with some light onshore breezes, but the surf is still only marginal at best. The best of the bunch is Thursday, the 13th of August, with an 12ft SSW swell and an onshore wind of 9 mph, giving a combined energy of 5733, but it’s still not clean.

Overall, the whole 16-day stretch is a write-off for clean, rideable waves. The swell is there, but the wind never lets up. Ketewel is an inconsistent reef break, and when it’s on, it’s for advanced surfers only. This time, it’s just not on. The consistent energy is there, but the quality is absent. It’s a blank run for the area, and honestly, it’s not unusual for this time of year.

Rusty.

Read more