Conditions at Yoff Beach in January
January: Big Swell, Battered by the Harmattan
January is a month of raw, unpolished power at Yoff. The North Atlantic storm track is in full swing, and the average swell height climbs to 6ft (1.8m) with a powerful period of 12.9s. The data shows a nearly monolithic swell direction: 75.7% of all waves come from the NNW, with a further 10.9% from the NW. Most of those are in the 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m) range, but over 17% reach 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m).
Tragically, the wind is almost universally bad. The Azores High pumps N-NE winds straight down the coast - N, NNE, and NE combined account for over 79% of all wind observations - and a large portion blow at 20-30kph. Such onshore flow chops up the long North Atlantic swell into a bumpy, hostile surface. With only 1% of the time offering offshore S/SSW/SW/WSW breeze, the surf is mostly a body-jarring grind. Water temp sits at a cool 20.9°C, so you'll be suited up while watching the occasional perfect set roll through on rare calm days.
Average Spot conditions at Yoff Beach in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Yoff Beach during January. 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 Yoff Beach for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Yoff Beach for January. 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 Yoff Beach.