Bantham • Statistics for February

February: Winter's Last Stand

February stands shoulder to shoulder with January, averaging around 7ft (2.1m) of swell with a 9.7s period. The swell direction distribution is again strongly biased to the WSW (24.3%), SW (9.3%) and W (12.3%), but note the slight increase in ENE (3.8%) and E (3.3%) swells, a sign that the ocean is starting to feel the stretching days. Wind remains the main challenge - only 13% of the time is it offshore, ideally from the NNE through E quadrant. The prevailing westerly/southwesterly winds dominate, with WSW+SW+W accounting for 30% of all wind observations, frequently exceeding 30kph. When a high pressure block sits over Scandinavia, Bantham can be world-class: 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) of groundswell with clean, easterly offshore breeze. But too often, the Atlantic low pressure conveyor belt drags another front across the UK, putting a bumpy load on the break. Water temperature drops to 8.9°C, the coldest of the year, while air temps average 6.1°C with a min of -5.9°C - harsh, but rewarding for the dedicated.