The Pass • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (April - August)

The Pass finds its true stride through the Southern Hemisphere autumn and winter, when a strengthening subtropical high over the northern Tasman Sea feeds a steady regime of S to SW winds. These blow directly offshore across this north-northeast-facing point, and the data shows the ideal-wind frequency peaks at 23-29% between April and August, with wave periods lengthening to 9.2-9.6s and average swell heights holding at 5-5.5ft (1.5-1.7m). The dominant E/SE groundswell direction is not the preferential NNE/NE angle, but once the offshore S/SW airflow grooms the sea surface, solid lines wrap the headland with remarkable consistency. This is the bread-and-butter window for quality, wave-for-wave.

Fair Surf Season (February - March & September - October)

The shoulder months are a study in trade-offs. In late summer and early autumn, the ocean carries its largest average swells of the year at 5.5ft (1.7m), but periods sit around 8.9-9.1s and the wind field is still marred by frequent seabreeze and NNE onshore influence. In spring, September and October, the N/NE swell share jumps to a yearly maximum near 20% as Coral Sea tropical lows and monsoon troughs awaken, yet NNW/NNE onshore winds also surge past 40% combined, cutting the ideal wind window to 14-17%. Both windows require careful synoptic timing, but when they align, they can deliver the most classic, main-peak days of the year.

Low Surf Season (November - January)

The summer doldrums are the low point of the annual cycle at The Pass. Between November and January, the high pressure belt drifts south, the monsoon trough settles over northern Australia, and the N/NE trade-wind flow blows onshore across this NNE-facing beach 40-48% of the time. Ideal offshore winds bottom out at 12-14%, average wave periods compress to 8.2-8.6s, and the swell mix shifts to a short-period E/ESE windswell that rarely produces the power the point needs. The occasional Coral Sea cyclone or Tasman Sea low can inject 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) of NE juice for a day or two, but the rule of thumb is persistent onshore chop and very inconsistent quality.