Huntington Beach • Statistics for April

April: Long-Period Southern Hemispheres Begin to Arrive

April sees the swell period stretch to an impressive 13.4s, the product of Northern Hemisphere NW groundswells and the first Southern Hemisphere pulses. The direction mix shifts again: WSW (41%) and SW (28%) are the main players, with W (24%) still relevant. Average size holds at 1.0m (3.5ft), but there are sweeping 1-1.5m (3-5ft) sets from WSW and W, and a touch of 1.5-2m (5-6ft) remains in the W direction. The problem is wind. Ideal offshore time collapses to just 17%, while onshore SW/WSW flow occupies an overwhelming 56% of the month. That means most days are blown into a textured, lumpy state, especially after noon. The saving grace is the long period, which can hold a decent wave together even when it's bumpy, and dawn patrol often offers a short window of semi-clean lines before the sea breeze takes over. Air temp climbs to 15.4°C (59.7°F), water is a brisk 14.0°C (57.2°F), and precipitation drops dramatically to 0.58 mm/day-a classic spring pattern of sunshine but wind.