South Point • Statistics for January

January: Summer Doldrums With a Southwest Pulse

January at South Point is summer in full swing, and while the surf is not firing at its winter peak, it still offers plenty of rideable waves. The average swell height is 1.9m (6.2ft), the average period is a surprisingly solid 11.8s, and the swell direction is heavily weighted to the southwest - SW at 38.6% and SSW at 33.5% - with only 4.9% from the more favourable WSW direction. Because the beach faces west-north-west, this south-southwest bias means much of the energy arrives on an oblique angle, wrapping into the bay rather than hitting it squarely. Still, the long periods keep things organised and powerful, and a 6ft southwest groundswell can produce clean, rippable walls.

Wind is the main limiting factor. The offshore ENE-E-ESE-SE quadrant accounts for just 28.3% of the wind distribution, and ideal surfing conditions only occur 14% of the time. The dominant winds instead blow from the south and south-southeast - SSE 23.1%, S 20.4%, SSW 13.2% - creating cross-shore texture that can turn the surface lumpy even when the swell is good. Bad onshore winds from the W-WNW are rare at 6.2%, so there are fewer blown-out days than you might expect. With air temperatures around 20.2°C, water temperatures at 20.6°C, and very little rainfall (0.46 mm/day), January is best scored by waiting for a dawn ESE or SE offshore and an incoming SW swell train.