Cannon Beach • Statistics for April

April: Shoulder Season Shuffle

April sees the surf season shift into a slower gear, though Cannon Beach still holds plenty of size. The average swell height drops to 6ft (1.8m) with an 11.4s period, and the swell window is completely dominated by W (38 percent) and WNW (25 percent), with WSW (16 percent) also present. This is the classic spring groundswell mix: powerful but less consistent, with longer gaps between frontal systems as the Aleutian Low begins to weaken.

The main challenge in April is wind. Offshore flow from the E/ENE/ESE/SE quadrant accounts for only around 8 percent of the wind distribution, and the wind is ideal for surfing only 19 percent of the time. Meanwhile NNW and NW winds combine for more than 25 percent, signaling the onset of the spring and summer onshore flow. Morning hours are often the best bet, when the thermal northerly is still light and a lingering offshore breeze can smooth the surface. Air temperatures are rising at 8.5°C, water temp is 10.7°C, and precipitation decreases to 4.91 mm/day, making it a more pleasant but less consistent month.