Gold Beach • Statistics for February

February: Relentless Winter Swell

February keeps Gold Beach in full winter mode. Swell energy remains huge, averaging 8ft (2.5m) with the same 12.9s average period as January. The dominant swell directions are WNW at over 20 percent of the observations and W near 16.5 percent, with NW and WSW also contributing. This is prime groundswell country: long-period WNW lines bend into the beach, while the W and WSW swells arrive more directly and line up best with the exposure. Wind patterns are similar to January, with S and SSE winds combining for a large chunk of the onshore flow, but NNE and NNW winds also show up regularly. The 26 percent ideal wind statistic reflects the importance of waiting for the high-pressure windows; when the wind goes E/NE/NNE, the surf goes from stormy to spectacular. Air temps remain cool at 7.6°C, precipitation is still robust at 6.96mm/day, and water temp hangs at 10.4°C. Expect thick, powerful, occasionally unruly surf with plenty of opportunities if you time the tides and winds right.