Alibaba • Statistics for August

August: The Cleanest Summer Window

August is statistically the cleanest month of the year at Alibaba. Ideal offshore wind conditions clock in at 51%, the highest of any month, and the NE trades are lighter and less consistent in strength. Wave heights bottom out at 4.5ft (1.4m), with an average period of 8.2s. The swell direction is still dominated by NNE (71.1%), with some N (10.9%) and NE (10.3%) contribution, so the direction remains poor for the southwest-facing beach, but the smooth surface partially compensates for the lack of size.

The summer heat is on: air temperatures average 25.8°C, water temps reach 26.2°C, and rainfall increases slightly to 1.03mm/day as the pre-ITCZ moisture builds. The surf is small, clean and fun, with plenty of small to mid-period waves for groveling or longboarding. For the performance surfer, August is the definition of a small-wave month; the occasional NNE groundswell can still wrap into the coast, but it rarely reaches the 2-2.5m range. If you want big Alibaba, you're a couple months early.