Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it’s a tough stretch. The wind is almost never playing ball, and we’re stuck with cross-onshore breeze for the vast majority of the days. The water temp is sitting at 82°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re getting chopped up.

The first real shot at anything decent comes on Tuesday, July 14th. It’s not a classic, but it’s the start of the best window. We’ve got a solid pulse of SSW groundswell pushing through, with the morning seeing 6ft at 17 seconds from the SSW. That’s a long-period swell, which means proper energy and shape, but it’s a bit tricky at a sheltered reef like Ketewel. The energy is strong (2607). The problem is the wind. It’s a moderate cross-onshore from the ESE at 12 mph, which will keep it choppy. The afternoon drops a touch to 6ft but the period stretches to 18 seconds, still a solid groundswell (2261). Still, that cross-on wind from the SE at 9 mph is a buzzkill. It’s a marginal call at best.

Wednesday the 15th is more of the same. Morning brings 6ft at 16 seconds from the SSW with a 9 mph ESE cross-on, so it’s still messy. The energy is there (2033), but the quality isn’t. The wind stays cross-on all day.

The biggest pulse of the whole period looks like it arrives on Monday, July 20th. We’re looking at 7ft of SSW groundswell with a 17-second period in the morning and a 16-second period in the afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving and the energy numbers are big (2750 and 2585). That’s expert territory – over 8ft is for the big dogs only. But again, the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the SE at 12 mph. It’s going to be a bumpy, powerful paddle. If you’re an experienced surfer, you might find a few, but it’s not the clean, glassy perfection we all dream of. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on these days.

The last real standout comes on Friday, July 24th. The afternoon shows a clean-up in the wind to a gentle 9 mph cross-on from the SE, and the swell is 5ft at 18 seconds from the SSW. That’s a nice, long-period groundswell hitting the coast. Energy is strong (1921). The morning is still a write-off with a 12 mph cross-on, but that afternoon window is the best quality of the whole forecast. It’s still cross-on, but it’s light, and the swell is solid. This is the one to circle if you’re free.

Saturday the 25th has some size again, with 6ft from the SSW at 16 seconds in the morning, but it’s back to that moderate cross-on wind. The energy is there (2048), but the wind is a problem.

Honestly, the whole 16 days is a battle with the wind. There are no pure, clean, offshore days. The best you’ll get is those marginal windows where the swell is good and the wind is light enough to make it worth a look. Don’t expect perfection, but the 20th of July for the brave and the 24th of July for the hopeful are your best bets.

Rusty.

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