Daytona Beach • Statistics for March

March: Spring Swell with a Seabreeze Catch

March remains in the solid surf window. Average height holds at 2.3ft (0.7m), period rises to 8.4s and ideal wind remains a respectable 19%. The orientation of the swell shifts even more toward the E/ENE direction, with east swell at 23.5%, ENE at 16.9%, ESE at 16.2% and NE at 15.1% - the favorable NE/ENE/E window alone makes up 62% of the energy. Waves in the 1.6-3.3ft (0.5-1m) range dominate, while NE and ENE also produce a slightly better chance of 3.3-4.9ft (1-1.5m) surf.

This is also the first month where the Bermuda High begins to assert itself. ESE and SE winds are becoming more common, and the afternoon seabreeze often chops up what would otherwise be clean morning waves. You will want to catch the dawn glass or the post-frontal west winds, especially when a late-season nor'easter bumps the swell up. Air temps average 18.7°C and water is now 20.5°C, so the transition months are starting to feel like spring.