Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Ketewel is a tough one to call a surf trip around. The overall pattern is pretty bleak, with a lot of onshore wind and messy conditions. There’s a bit of a run of poor surf quality for the first week or so, but don’t lose hope just yet.

The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until Wednesday, 15 July. We’ve got a solid SSW groundswell rolling in at 6ft, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which is great for the reef here, but it also means long lulls between sets. The combined energy is strong at 1887, so there’s plenty of power, but the wind is a cross-on ESE breeze at 9 mph, which is keeping things a little choppy. The tide might be a factor too, so it’s a marginal call. If you’re an advanced surfer and you time it right, you could score a few, but it’s not the kind of day you’d tell your mates about.

The next week is a real struggle. From Thursday 16 July all the way through to Sunday 26 July, the story is the same: cross-on wind from the ESE or SE, mostly moderate breeze at 12 mph, and swell sizes bouncing between 3ft and 7ft. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy dips into the moderate range (841 to 1586), and it’s just choppy, poor surf day after day. There’s no standout period here – it’s all pretty forgettable.

Hold on, though. Monday 20 July morning gives a bit of a pulse with a 7ft SSW swell, long period of 17 seconds, and energy at 2331 (strong). But again, the wind is cross-on from the SE at 12 mph, and the tide or conditions are still questionable. It’s a “marginal” call, not a green light.

Now, let’s look at the second week. The pattern doesn’t really change. From Tuesday 28 July morning, we see a 7ft SE swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s windswell, not the good stuff. The energy is strong at 1298, but the wind is still cross-on, and it’s flagged as poor. There’s a brief moment on the afternoon of Tuesday 28 July where the swell drops to 3ft but with a very long 18-second period from the SSW. That’s a tease, but the wind is still not ideal.

The best on offer in this whole window? It’s a toss-up, but I’d point you to the Wednesday 15 July morning session if you’re an advanced surfer who can handle the crowd potential (it’s “sometimes” crowded here) and the choppy cross-on wind. The reef break at Ketewel (Indonesia) is sheltered and picks up the SSW best, so the direction is right. The swell is 6ft, which is solid, and the 16-second period is proper groundswell. The other highlight is the Monday 20 July morning, with a bigger 7ft swell and even longer 17-second period, but it’s still a cross-on wind, so it’s not clean. Neither is a true standout because of the wind, but those are your two best shots.

For beginners, the swell is mostly over 5ft, so it’s too big for you anyway. For experts, the 7ft+ days on 20 July and 28 July are in your range, but the wind is the enemy.

Overall, it’s a poor run, but it tends not to stay this bad forever. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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