Sun Beach • Statistics for January

January: The Best of the Short-Peak Winter

January is one of the better months at Sun Beach, though the numbers still underline how small this coast runs. Average surf height is 1.5ft (0.5m) and the mean period is only 4.8 seconds, so most of the energy is choppy, low and messy by definition. The swell distribution shows a strong ENE component at 29%, with NNE/NE adding another 27%; these are trade-driven waves that arrive from the wrong side for an NNW-facing beach. The bright spot is the N-NNW sector - especially NNW at around 18% - which brings the most rideable swell. However, the majority of that favourable swell is under 1.6ft (0.5m).

Winds are just as problematic. ENE/E winds blow close to 40% of the time, producing cross-shore texture, while true offshore directions from S, SSW, SW and WSW account for only about 7%. The data confirms that zero percent of the time offers ideal surf conditions. With air temperatures near 23°C (73°F) and water at 24°C (75°F), the comfort level is high, but the wave quality is not. Any rideable day in January will almost certainly require a cold front to deliver a clean NNW windswell and a rare south to southwest wind.