Ketewel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the Ketewel surf over the next couple of weeks. Ketewel’s a reef set-up, advanced only, and it’s inconsistent, so don’t bank on it firing every day. The water’s about average for the time of year. We’ve got a persistent SSW swell running, but the wind is a bit of a drama – mostly a cross-on from the southeast, which is never ideal for a sheltered spot like this.

The first week is a bit of a grind. The swell’s size is decent, around 5 ft to 7 ft, but those cross-on winds are keeping it messy. The wave energy is moderate to strong, but the quality’s just not there. There’s a big gap of poor to marginal surf from Monday morning, August 3rd, right through to the weekend. The conditions are just choppy, with no real standout windows for a clean ride.

Friday, August 7th, the swell starts to push up a bit, hitting 8 ft in the afternoon, and the wind briefly goes ‘on’ – or offshore. That’s a subtle shift, but it’s still a moderate breeze, so the surface won’t be glassy. Still, if you’re an expert and you’re desperate, that afternoon might offer the cleanest of a messy bunch.

The best-looking period is Monday, August 10th, and Tuesday, August 11th. The swell holds at 8 ft from the SSW, with a long period of 17 seconds and 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind drops to a light breeze from the southeast, and it’s offshore. For a reef like Ketewel, that’s magic. The waves will be powerful, with long lulls, but clean. The crowd factor is ‘sometimes’ – so you might have a few out, but it’s worth it. This is the standout. The swell is over 8 ft, so it’s experts only, but that’s who this break is for.

After that, the swell stays solid through to mid-month, but the cross-on wind returns. By Saturday, August 15th, the swell gets huge – 10 ft with a 20-second period, and serious power. That’s big, but it’s still cross-on, so it’s going to be challenging. Then Sunday, August 16th, we see 11 ft SSW swell at 18 seconds, again cross-on. That’s big, heavy, and messy – not for the faint-hearted. The run continues into the following week with more of the same: big swell, cross-on wind, marginal conditions.

Basically, the only real window where it all comes together is Monday to Tuesday, August 10th-11th. Get in the water then. The rest is a battle with the wind. If you’re looking for a paddle, wait for that short window. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing when the wind is cross-on and the swell is big.

Rusty.

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