Conditions at Backdoor in October
October: The North Pacific Wakes Up
October is when Backdoor starts to feel like Backdoor again. The average swell height jumps to 2.0m (6.6ft) and the period stretches to 10.7s as the Aleutian Low deepens and mid-latitude storms begin firing long-period swell toward Hawaii. The direction rose shows a healthy balance: ENE (25.1%) and NE (21.5%) still provide trade-wind energy, but NNE (14.8%), NNW (14.5%), and N (7.1%) are back in force. These are the optimal angles for the northwest-facing reef. The wind is still predominantly ENE (35.2%) and E (37.2%), but ideal offshore flow is measured at 26% - the highest since the previous winter. On the right day, with light S/SW/W wind, the reef starts producing hollow pits again. Air temperatures remain warm at 25.8°C (min 21.8°C, max 30.0°C), rain increases to 1.83 mm/day, and water temperature is 26.5°C.
Average Spot conditions at Backdoor in October
Swell history for October
Wind history for October
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Backdoor during October. 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 Backdoor for your next trip in October.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Backdoor for October. 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 Backdoor.