Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

First off, it’s a bit of a slow start and we’ve got a long stretch ahead with not much to get excited about. The only break on the menu is Ketewel, a sheltered reef setup that’s built for advanced crew and tends to be inconsistent. The water is sitting around 81°, which is pretty standard for this time of year.

Right now, through the end of July and into the first few days of August, it’s not doing much. Wednesday the 29th through to Sunday the 2nd of August, there’s some moderate swell energy coming through (763 to 1973 combined energy), but the wind is a cross-on from the SE, blowing at 12 to 12 mph. That’s chopping things up and the conditions are just poor or marginal. There’s a long period groundswell coming from the SSW, with periods hitting 14 to 17 seconds, which suggests decent shape in the water, but the wind is ruining it. Nothing worth paddling out for.

We then roll into a gap where things stay pretty ordinary. From Monday the 3rd of August through to Wednesday the 12th, it’s a rinse and repeat of cross-on or onshore winds, mostly from the SE or ESE, with speeds hanging around 6 to 12 mph. The swell stays in the 5ft to 8ft range, which is proper size for advanced surfers only, but the conditions are inconsistent and messy. The combined swell energy climbs from 1150 up to over 3900 towards the 12th, but it’s still not clean enough to recommend. A few mornings see light wind, which is a tease, but the seabreeze kicks in by afternoon and ruins the glass.

Now, the standout window. Look towards Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August. Swell is hitting 8ft from the SSW, period around 15-16 seconds, with combined energy over 2700. That’s a serious groundswell. The wind is very light (6 mph) and turning onshore or variable, so the surf could be glassy and clean, especially in the mornings. Ketewel will see a solid, powerful SSW groundswell, and if you’re an advanced surfer, this is the call. The caveat is that long period swells like this can be a bit too straight for beach breaks, but on this reef, it should set up nicely. Be aware, crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have company.

After that, the second half of the month trails off into familiar cross-on winds and choppy surf, with nothing else standing out.

So, for this region, your best bet is Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August at Ketewel, when that 8ft SSW groundswell meets light winds. It’s a promising but not guaranteed setup, so keep an eye on the forecast.

Rusty.

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