Makaha • Statistics for June

June: Maximum South Swell Intensity

June is all about raw South Pacific power. The average height stays at 5ft (1.5m), and the period is a long 13.4s. The big-wave percentages are at their annual peak: 42.6 percent of swells fall in the 5-6ft (1.5-2m) range and 7.1 percent reach 6-8ft (2-2.5m), while SSW energy dominates at 86 percent. A small but notable 3.7 percent of the swell arrives from due S, adding extra line and push. On the wind side, this is one of the strongest months of the year. 82.6 percent of the wind blows from the south, and 15.3 percent blows at 20-30kph; combined with 12.3 percent SSW, the surface is almost always raw and lumpy. Water temperature drops to 17.4°C, air temperature to 17.2°C, and precipitation is about as close to zero as it gets at 0.02mm per day. June is a month for big-wave hunters and heavy-weapon shortboards - the swell is there, but you will have to pay the onshore tax.