Long Sands • Statistics for March

March: Late-Winter Swell with a Spring Backbeat

March keeps winter's surf engine running, but with a spring twist. The average swell eases only slightly to 1.2m (4ft), while the average period actually ticks up a notch to 7.7s - enough for solid, punchy waves on the beach. The swell window is increasingly dominated by the NNE, which is the single largest directional source at 13.8% of total observations, with strong contributions from ENE and E. There's also plenty of N and NNW energy wrapping in, which can surprise if you're chasing a less-crowded bank.

Wind is a mixed bag in March. The offshore W/WSW/SW flow is still well established, but ideal surf wind drops to 30% as spring-time pressure gradients become more irregular and continental influences start to mix with Atlantic systems. When the wind goes light and variable under a transient high, the morning glass-off can be magic. Water temperature is still a chilly 6.3°C and air temps average 5.8°C, so winter rubber remains essential. This is the last month where you can count on consistent winter-style power before spring turns the volume down.