Lake Worth • Statistics for August

August: Hint of a Pulse

August is still in the summer lull, but there's a subtle shift on the horizon. Average swell heights remain at 0.6m (2ft), yet the period rebounds slightly to 6.8s, hinting at longer-period energy beginning to infiltrate the trade wind swell. The dominant directions are E (28.4%), ESE (21.7%) and ENE (17.8%), with a noticeable reduction in the micro-wave category compared to July. The ideal wind percentage is only 12%, so offshore windows are still few and far between. The east to southeast trades continue to blow onshore, but the increase in period means that when a tropical wave or distant storm sends surf, it has a bit more push. Water is at its warmest, 30.1°C, and air temp averages a sultry 28.3°C. Precipitation is high at 6.17 mm/day, often in heavy squalls. August is a transition month - the very first hints of hurricane season energy are starting to be seen in the wave charts, but for now the surf remains small.