Newgale • Statistics for January

January: Midwinter Muscle

January is Newgale at its heaviest. Average swell height rings in at 5ft (1.6m) with a healthy 9.1 second average period, and the swell window is packed with westerly energy. WSW alone supplies 26.9 percent of the swell, while SW (18.1 percent) and W (10.1 percent) add more punch, meaning the beach rarely lacks waves. Many observations fall into the 3-8ft (1-2.5m) range, with powerful long-period groundswell from North Atlantic lows making the bay rumble. The limiting factor is wind: ideal offshore NNE through E flow appears only 9 percent of the time, while onshore SSW through W winds pile in over a third of the time. The best winter days come when a high pressure ridge builds and turns the wind to the east, leaving clean, hollow lines on the rising swell. With water temperature at 9.1°C and air temperatures near 6.8°C, this is serious winter surfing at its finest.