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Conditions at Cape St Francis in January
January: Mid-Summer Groundswell and the Offshore Window
Mid-summer in the Eastern Cape brings a mean swell of 8ft (2.4m) at 10.9 seconds, squarely in the powerful long-period class. The swell rose is dominated by SSW and SW energy - a combined 38.6 percent of all readings - with S adding another 9.8 percent; the E quadrant, so important to this NE-facing beach, accounts for only 1.8 percent. When a true E swell lines up, it is often in the 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) range, but those days are rare. The wind story is a battle between the summer onshore flow out of the E/ENE, totaling around 30 percent, and cleaner W/SW offshore windows, which are directionally present around 45 percent of the time. Only 31 percent of all wind observations meet the full ideal criteria for surfing. The ocean sits at 20.1°C, air temperatures average 21.5°C, and rainfall is modest at 1.49 mm/day. January rewards patience: wait for an offshore W/SW wind and hope that E component sneaks into the mix.
Average Spot conditions at Cape St Francis in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cape St Francis 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 Cape St Francis for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cape St Francis 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 Cape St Francis.