Cozumel • Statistics for September

September: Peak Hurricane Season, Peak Frustration

September is the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and Cozumel feels the pulse. Average swell height remains tiny at 2ft (0.6m) and the average period dips to 5.9s, the lowest of the year, because much of the summer wave energy is short-period local windswell. ESE still dominates the swell rose with 53.0%, but E (19.9%) and SE (19.1%) add a bit more spread than in midsummer. The wind field becomes slightly messier as tropical waves roll through: E (23.2%), ESE (22.5%), ENE (19.7%) and SE (11.5%) all vie for control. The ideal offshore window is still around 1%. With sea surface temps at a sweltering 29.5°C and rainfall up to 0.23in/day (5.96mm/day), the atmosphere is primed for convection. If a named storm passes anywhere near the Yucatan Channel, expect a sudden spike in wave heights - sometimes well into the pumping 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range - but with howling onshore wind, strong currents and zero surface quality. For the average surfer, September is best spent watching satellite loops rather than the surf report.