Lefthanders • Statistics for January

January: Summer Lull with a South-Biased Pulse

January's surf is a product of the subtropical high pressure belt that parks itself across the Great Australian Bight. The average swell height is a modest 6ft (1.9m) with a 11.8-second period, and while that period is still in the powerful long-period range, the energy is less consistent than winter. The wave rose is dominated by SSW (33.5%) and SW (38.6%) swell, with WSW adding 4.9%, which means the most common swell direction is right in the sweet spot for Lefthanders. However, the wind is the limiting factor: SE (16.8%), SSE (28.3%) and S (18.6%) combine to add up to 60% of the wind observations, putting a persistent cross-onshore bump on the face. Ideal offshore flow from NE to ESE is only present 15% of the time, mostly in the early morning. With air temperatures averaging 20.2°C and water temperature at 20.6°C, expect humid summer mornings and a short-board grovel if you miss dawn patrol.