Ral Island • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (November - March)

The northwest monsoon delivers the most promising surf window for Ral Island from November through March. Average wave heights run from 3.3ft to 4.3ft (1.0m to 1.3m) with periods between 10.0 and 10.5 seconds, placing the spot in the powerful long-period category. During this stretch, the favorable N, NNE, NW and NNW swell quadrant accounts for 65 to 84 percent of all wave energy, with December and January peaking near 76 to 84 percent. This is when Ral Island's north-facing reefs see the most size and push. The challenging part is wind: the monsoon often brings NW, NNW and WNW flow that is onshore or heavily side-onshore for this beach. Ideal surfing conditions run from just 17 to 46 percent of the time during the core months. The best days happen when a monsoon trough or tropical low drags the wind around to the south or southwest and cleans up the long-period north groundswell.

Fair Surf Season (April & October)

April and October are transition months, offering a trade-off between swell size and clean conditions. April averages 3.3ft (1.0m) of surf with a 9.6 second period, while October averages 3ft (0.9m) with a 10.1 second period. The favorable N-family swell window shrinks to roughly 44 to 47 percent of total energy, and the NE and ENE components become more important. However, ideal wind percentages jump to 39 percent in April and 59 percent in October, so the waves that do arrive are much more likely to have clean faces. Expect a good mix of small to solid, rippable surf rather than out-and-out pumping conditions.

Low Surf Season (May - September)

From May through September, the southeast trade winds take over and Ral Island enters its most consistent but least powerful window. Surf averages just 2.6ft to 3ft (0.8m to 0.9m), with periods falling to between 7.6 and 8.9 seconds. The swell direction shifts hard into the ENE and E quadrant, leaving only 6 to 21 percent of the wave energy arriving from the favorable N, NNE, NW and NNW window. The big positive is wind: ideal conditions run 53 to 66 percent of the time, so the surface is frequently clean and groomed. This is small-wave and longboard season, and while the north-facing reefs still catch fun-sized runners, they rarely see the powerful, heavy surf of the monsoon season.