Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the goods on your local stretch.

Alright, straight up – don’t get your hopes up for clean waves at Ketewel for the next ten days or so. The onshore and cross-onshore winds are going to be a pain, leaving the surface a mess for most of the period. We’ve got a real long wait before things start to come together.

We kick off on Monday the 13th with poor surf conditions and a gentle cross-onshore breeze. The swell is tiny, around 3ft from the SSW, with a combined wave energy of 391 – that’s weak. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

Tuesday the 14th brings a bit more size, with swell hitting 6ft to 6ft from the SSW, but the wind is still cross-on, making it choppy. The combined energy jumps up to 2589 (moderate to strong), but the quality just isn’t there. This kind of size at a sheltered reef like Ketewel could be okay for advanced crew, but with the wind ruining it, I’d give it a miss.

From Wednesday the 15th through to Sunday the 19th, it’s more of the same – poor to marginal conditions with cross-onshore winds and messy, choppy faces. The swell hangs around the 4ft to 6ft range, but it’s just not worth the paddle.

Now, we finally get a little glimmer of hope on Monday the 20th of July. The swell bumps up to 7ft from the SSW, with a period of 17 seconds – that’s a nice groundswell. The combined energy is a solid 2482. It’s still classed as marginal due to questionable tide conditions and a cross-onshore breeze, but the size and period are there for advanced surfers. The direction is a good match for this spot, which loves a south swell.

Tuesday the 21st actually sees the wind shift to straight onshore, which is a step in the right direction for cleanliness. We’ve got 6ft of SSW swell with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 1288. Still marginal, but better.

The real standout of this entire forecast lands on Saturday the 25th of July. The afternoon brings 6ft of SSW swell with a long 17-second period and a combined energy of 2352. The wind is light and onshore from the SSE, blowing at just 6 mph, which should leave things glassy and clean. For a sheltered reef like Ketewel, that long-period groundswell from the south is perfect – it’ll wrap in with plenty of power and shape. This is the session to aim for, but you’ll want to be an experienced surfer as it’s over 5ft and on the advanced side. Because this spot can get crowded sometimes, you might have a few others on it, but for this kind of quality it’s worth it.

Sunday the 26th still has some cleaner wind and 5ft to 6ft SSW swell, but the energy drops a little.

After that, the last few days of the month drop back into poor conditions with smaller, weaker swell and a return of cross-onshore wind.

So to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a write-off thanks to the wind. Hang tight. The best window is around Saturday the 25th of July – that afternoon has the best combo of clean offshore wind, solid long-period swell, and decent energy. It’s a long way off, but it’s got potential.

Rusty.

Read more