Conditions at Reef in April
April: The Transitional Window
April is the classic shoulder month: still plenty of waves, but the engine room of the North Atlantic is beginning to idle down. Average swell height eases to 6.6ft (2.0m), and the period drops to 11.1 seconds - still in the powerful, long-period range but noticeably weaker than deep winter. The swell direction distribution becomes more northerly, with NW at 28% and NNW at 20% leading; WNW still chips in a valuable 21%, so the reef remains well-exposed to the optimal NW quadrant.
Wind starts to be the limiting factor. The offshore east to southeast quadrant only accounts for about 8% of the month, and ideal conditions fall to 14%. NNW winds are the clear bullies at 28.6%, creating surface chop and short-period windswell. Water temperature climbs to 15.7°C, air temperatures average 14.7°C, and precipitation sits around 1.88mm/day. The best windows come early in the morning when land breeze effects offer a brief offshore touch before the afternoon seabreeze kicks in.
Average Spot conditions at Reef in April
Swell history for April
Wind history for April
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Reef during April. 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 Reef for your next trip in April.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Reef for April. 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 Reef.