Cave Rock • Statistics for July

July: Winter's Steady Pulse

July continues the winter momentum with only a slight step down from June. The average swell height is 1.7m (5.6ft), the period remains a strong 10.7s, and ideal winds are present 51% of the time. The wind rose is very similar to June: NNE (11.8%), NE (12.6%), SSW (13.3%), and SW (9.8%), but with a healthy dose of westerly and northwesterly offshore flow (W 4.1%, WNW 5.7%, NW 6.2%, NNW 11.4%). Swell direction is once again dominated by S (24.6%) and SSE (16.9%), with ENE (9.9%) and E (13.7%) still present but less important. The 1.5-2m and 2-2.5m categories are full, and the occasional overhead set pushes through. Water temp drops to its lowest of the year at 21.8°C, with air temps at 20.0°C. Rain increases slightly to 1.43mm/day, but the surf remains consistent and powerful. This is a deep-winter month where the Southern Ocean storms are in full swing, sending long-period swell into the South African bight. Cave Rock handles it well, and the offshore wind from the west and northwest ensures glassy, crumbling conditions - a magnet for locals in wetsuits and hoods.