Conditions at Salinas in August
August: The Dog Days with a Pulse
August is only a hair bigger than July, averaging 3ft (0.9m) at 9.0s. The swell window is if anything even more northwest-dominant, with NW at 46% and NNW at 34%, but again the energy is mostly locked in the 2-3ft (0.5-1m) category. There is a slight increase in 3-5ft (1-1.5m) waves compared to July - just over a fifth of the readings - so a longer-period late-summer swell or tropical system can still catch the beach. Ideal wind improves a touch to 41%, but the E/ENE trades remain the dominant daily flow. Water temperature peaks for the year at 20.5°C, air temps average 19.5°C, and the rain is still light at 1.51 mm/day. August is small, but it's not completely lifeless; the occasional energetic NW fetch sends some surprises through.
Average Spot conditions at Salinas in August
Swell history for August
Wind history for August
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Salinas during August. 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 Salinas for your next trip in August.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Salinas for August. 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 Salinas.