Conditions at Ohama in January
January: Cold NW Monsoon, Big But Directionless Swell
January delivers the second-largest average surf of the year at 6ft (1.8m), but the source is dominated by the west: W-direction swell accounts for 33% of all observations, with ENE and NE adding another 17%. With the beach facing SE, the ideal E/ESE/SE/SSE window only lights up about 8% of the time, so much of that raw winter energy is either wrapping at odd angles or arriving as short-period wind sea. The average period sits at 6.9s, making it rideable and punchy, but a far cry from long-period groundswell. Fortunately, the winter monsoon blows offshore from the W/WNW/NW/NNW a healthy chunk of the time, with W alone at 36%, and when an E/ESE swell aligns with that offshore flow, Ohama produces clean, lined-up waves. Air temps hover near 10.7°C and water temperature is 16.9°C, so winter rubber is non-negotiable. Precipitation is moderate at 2.5mm/day.
Average Spot conditions at Ohama in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ohama 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 Ohama for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ohama 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 Ohama.