Mona Lisa Point • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (November - February)

The northeast monsoon, or Amihan, takes the wheel from November through February and delivers the most surfable windows of the year at Mona Lisa Point. Average wave heights hover around 2-3ft (0.6-0.9m) with periods in the 7-8 second range - punchy, rideable, and far removed from the summer mush. The dominant north-northwest swell is not the ideal south-west to west window, but the west-facing orientation still catches plenty of open-ocean energy, especially when high pressure over East Asia drives cool offshore flow from the NE/ENE/E/ESE quadrants. With ideal-wind readings peaking at 30 per cent in December and 28 per cent in November, this is when clean, groomed lines are most common. Dry weather and seasonal water temperatures around 26-28°C (78-82°F) make it the most comfortable and reliable period for a surf trip.

Fair Surf Season (March, April, September, October)

Transition months are a game of patience at Mona Lisa Point. March and April are caught between the retreating Amihan and the building southwest monsoon; the northwest/NE windswell fades and average heights drop to 1-2ft (0.3-0.6m), while the wind shifts more often into light southerlies and westerlies. September and October see the opposite transition: the southwest monsoon slowly releases its grip, swell direction starts swinging back towards the NNW, and the first significant NE monsoon pulses can deliver clean, waist-to-shoulder-high sets. These months are not useless, but they require watching the synoptic setup closely for the occasional long-period typhoon swell or pre-monsoon pulse that overrides the groveling baseline.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

The southwest monsoon, or Habagat, turns the west-facing shore into an onshore wind farm from May through August. The swell window is actually from the productive SW/WSW/W directions, but the same quadrant generates the prevailing S/SSW/SW winds that tear up the surface. Ideal offshore wind drops to 3-7 per cent, making clean waves rare. Although average heights remain around 1-2ft (0.3-0.6m), periods are short and the rain/heavy cloud load is at its annual peak, especially in July and August. If you have to surf here in summer, search for a typhoon swell approaching from the west with a land breeze in the early morning; otherwise expect junky, wind-affected conditions.