Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough stretch for Ketewel. The wave energy is there, but the wind is just a constant pain. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but the first real chance to paddle out doesn’t come until Monday, July 20th, and even then it’s a grim one. The whole run is plagued by cross-onshore winds, mostly from the SE, which is going to chop everything up. There’s a long gap of poor surf conditions from Tuesday the 21st all the way through to the end of July, with no real standouts. The only flicker of life comes right at the very end of the forecast.

Let’s break it down. On Monday afternoon, July 20th, we get a wave that’s 7 ft from the SSW with a very long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy (2042), but it’s blowing cross-on at 12 mph, so it’s going to be a messy, choppy affair. The water is a warm 81°, which is about average for this time of year. Not worth a session, in my book. The next couple of weeks are a washout of poor surf conditions, with that same cross-on wind messing up every swell.

Now, look, this is a reef break that’s sheltered and inconsistent, so it needs the stars to align. The cleanest potential we see is a long way off, on Thursday, July 30th. The morning shows a 4 ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and a light breeze (6 mph). The energy is moderate (1132). The afternoon bumps up to 5 ft from the same direction with a 15-second period and even stronger energy (1297). The wind is still cross-on, but it’s light, so it’ll just put a few ripples on the surface. The water temperature is still expected to be warm. These are the only two sessions in the whole 16 days that I’d even call “marginal,” and they’re the best you’ll get. The swell is still a bit too big for beginners, and the direction is from the SSW, which isn’t the optimum S direction for this spot, but it's as close as we’ll get.

The rest of the first week of August continues the same story: persistent cross-onshore winds and poor conditions. There’s a 5 ft SSW swell on Tuesday, August 4th, with strong energy (1556), but the wind is still on it, so it’s a no-go. This place is inconsistent at the best of times, so a blank run like this is more normal for the area. It’s a real shame, but the wind just won’t play ball.

Rusty.

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