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Conditions at Wickaninnish in April
April: Quality Groundswell Meets the West-Northwest Wind Shift
April is the first true shoulder-season month at Wickaninnish. Average swell height eases to 1.4m (4.5ft) and the average period settles to 11.3s-still plenty of long-period energy for a high-latitude beach. The swell direction is heavily locked into the optimal WSW (37.8%) and W (32.5%) quadrants, with another 15.6% from SW, meaning Wickaninnish remains the go-to when the Pacific delivers. Wave heights are mostly in the 1 to 1.5m range, with a good share of 1.5 to 2m peaks, so surf runs from fun-sized to solid head-high.
The spring wind field is the problem. Ideal offshore wind drops to 25%, and the dominant direction is now WNW (20.5%), with NW (10.0%) and W (8.2%) close behind-a cross-to-onshore flow for the west-southwest-facing beach. Air temperature averages 7.7°C, water temperature warms to 9.7°C, and precipitation falls to 5.12mm per day. Morning outflow can still groom the swell before the afternoon sea breeze kicks up.
Average Spot conditions at Wickaninnish in April
Swell history for April
Wind history for April
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Wickaninnish during April. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Wickaninnish for your next trip in April.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Wickaninnish for April. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Wickaninnish.