Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Alright, let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a long stretch of days where the surf isn’t really giving us much to get excited about. The first solid recommendation doesn’t come until the 13th of September, that’s a Sunday. Before that, Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are a write-off – poor conditions, cross-onshore winds, and the wave comment calling it marginal or poor. So you’re looking at a gap of a couple of days with nothing worth paddling out for.

The best bet across the whole 16-day window is going to be Ketewel. This is a reef break, and it’s inconsistent, so it takes a bit of patience, but when it’s on, it’s on. It’s also sheltered from the swell, which means it needs a good solid push from the south-southwest to get going. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The standout window is the 23rd and 24th of September. That’s a Wednesday and Thursday. On the 23rd, we’ve got a solid 7ft to 7ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 15 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, plenty of energy. The combined energy is strong, hitting 2022 and 2214. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, which is a bit of a bummer, but it’s light enough that it’ll still be rideable. The 24th cleans up a bit with lighter winds from the south, around 6 mph, making for a much cleaner surface. The swell holds at 7ft from the SSW with a period of 15 seconds, and the energy is still strong at 1787 and 1798. That’s your best day for a decent session, especially if you’re an advanced surfer. Anything over 8ft is for experts only, and this sits right at the 7ft mark, so it’s a solid, powerful wave that’s best suited to those with experience.

Leading up to that, the 20th also shows a bit of promise with 7ft to 7ft from the SSW, but the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it’s not as clean. The 13th and 14th have some swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and the conditions are marginal at best.

After the 24th, it drops off again. The 25th has some 6ft swell with light winds, so it’s worth a look if you’re keen, but it’s nothing special. The 26th is a dud with only 4ft of swell and poor conditions.

For beginners, the swell is over 5ft for most of the good days, so it’s pretty much a no-go. Stick to the smaller days if you’re just starting out, but there aren’t many of them.

You’ll want to keep an eye on the tides too, because the wave comment mentions “questionable tide conditions” for a lot of the sessions. It’s a reef break, so tide matters more than at a beach.

Overall, it’s a slow start, a couple of decent windows in the second week, and then it fades out. The 23rd and 24th are your best shots, but don’t expect perfection.

Rusty.

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