Yallingup • Statistics for March

March: Autumn's First Hint of Power

March is a transition month, and the ocean begins to notice. The average swell height remains around 6ft (1.9m), but the period lengthens to 12.5s and the proportion of WSW/W swell edges upward, now contributing close to 8 percent when combined with W and WSW. SW is still the dominant source at 38 percent, with SSW on 27 percent, but the subtle westward shift in the directional spread is enough to put more juice into Yallingup's WNW-facing reefs. Surf quality improves as the refracted SW/WSW lines gain more push and better shape.

Winds are becoming more favourable as autumn settles in. The offshore quadrant from E through SSE accounts for 52 percent of the wind distribution, and the ideal window rises to 21 percent, the highest since the previous autumn. Air temperatures remain warm at 20.5 degrees C (min 14.2, max 30.5), water temperature peaks at 21.4 degrees C, and rainfall is still modest at 0.70mm/day. Expect cleaner sessions, more consistent swell, and the first real signs that the Southern Ocean storm track is waking up.