Conditions at Scar Reef in January
January: The Northwest Monsoon Slams the Door
January is deep in the north-west monsoon, and the numbers are not pretty for Scar Reef. Ideal wind sits at just 29 percent, with the bulk of the wind coming from NNE (15.3%), WSW (13.9%), SW (12.8%) and W (9.1%). Most of that blows cross-shore or onshore onto this north-west-facing reef, so the wave faces are frequently bumpy and hard to read. Swell averages 4ft (1.3m) at 12.6 seconds - still technically long period - but it arrives almost entirely from the SSW (42.4%) and SW (56.0%), not from the N/W/NW directions this set-up prefers. With high rainfall pushing 7.94mm/day, warm air at 26.6°C and water temperature 29.5°C, expect humid, scattered showers and only small windows of clean SSE to S offshore flow. On those rare days the reef can still produce fun, rippable waves, but consistency is a serious issue.
Average Spot conditions at Scar Reef in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Scar Reef during January. 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 Scar Reef for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Scar Reef for January. 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 Scar Reef.