Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve got the scoop on the surf coming up for Ketewel (Bali). Let’s be straight up from the start – this is a tricky stretch for a reef break that’s inconsistent and sheltered, mostly needing a solid SSW swell to work. The water’s sitting at 80°F, which is pretty much normal for the time of year – nothing to write home about.

The outlook kicks off Saturday, August 15th, with a solid 7 ft SSW swell rolling in, but there’s a catch – the wind is cross-on from the ESE at 6 mph, and the wave energy is strong at 2752. It’s a bit choppy, and the forecast flags it as marginal. Not ideal, but it’s the best we’re getting for a while. That swell holds through the afternoon, with the same size and direction, but the wind picks up to 9 mph SE, still cross-on, making it fairly choppy. Sunday the 16th sees the swell drop to 7 ft, then 6 ft, with the same cross-on wind – energy drops to 1936 and 1488, but it’s still marginal. By Monday the 17th, it fades further to 5 ft and 4 ft, and the surf quality is poor – no good.

Tuesday the 18th has a weird spike: morning swell is only 4 ft, but the energy jumps to 1859, then afternoon it’s back to 6 ft with 1878 energy – still marginal. Wednesday the 19th is the strongest in this first week, with 7 ft and 8 ft SSW swell, energy hitting 3140 and 3266, but the cross-on wind kills it. Thursday the 20th pushes 8 ft in the morning – that’s expert territory, energy at 3158, but still cross-on and marginal. By Friday the 21st, winds strengthen to 12 mph, and the swell’s 7 ft to 7 ft – poor or marginal, with energy around 1890 to 2618.

Then there’s a long gap. Saturday the 22nd through Sunday the 30th – over a week – where the surf is mostly poor or marginal, with swell sizes hanging between 3 ft and 7 ft, and cross-on or onshore winds. The energy drops to as low as 459 on Thursday the 27th, which is weak. Nothing really stands out as truly good surf.

The best that’s on offer? It’s a tough call, but if you’re desperate, Saturday August 15th morning, with that 7 ft SSW swell and 17-second period – that’s a long-period groundswell, packing energy at 2752. The cross-on breeze is light at 6 mph, so it’s not completely blown out, but it’s still not clean. For a reef break like Ketewel, that long period (17 seconds) can mean better shape, but it’s prone to breaking a bit too straight here. The wind’s not offshore, so it’s a struggle. There’s no standout session that has it all – good swell, clean wind, and quality. The only other decent-ish window is Saturday August 29th morning, with 6 ft SSW swell, 19-second period, huge energy at 3015, and light cross-on wind at 6 mph – it’s marginal, but it’s the best in the second week. Crowds are possible here, and it’s inconsistent, so keep that in mind.

Overall, this is a rough run for Ketewel. The wind is mostly cross-on, and the surf quality is rarely any good. It’s a blank run, really – typical for this time of year when the swell doesn’t align with the wind. Stick to the bigger days and hope for a change in the forecast. Stay safe out there.

Rusty

Read more