Ingonish Beach • Statistics for April

April: The Direction Riddle Finally Starts to Solve

April is the first month where the swell direction starts to match the beach's east-facing orientation. The average wave height drops to around 4ft (1.3m), but the distribution is far more favorable: ESE accounts for 10.9%, SE for 9.2%, E for 9.1%, with another solid chunk of S/SSE energy. In total, nearly 40% of the swell now arrives from the E/SE half, meaning Ingonish receives far more of the waves it is built to hold. Periods remain short at 7.2 seconds, mostly windswell and transition-season energy, but the punchy winter character is still present. Wind is a mixed bag: W/WNW/NW flow still dominates, but it is lighter, and ideal offshore conditions nudge up to 26%. Water temperature is still frigid at 0.1°C and air averages only 1.2°C, so the cold is not gone. Nevertheless, April is a promising shoulder month for surfers chasing clean, 3-5ft (0.9-1.5m) waves on the east side of the cape before the summer doldrums set in.