Latigo Point • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (November - March)

Latigo Point is a south-facing corner of the Southern California coast, and that orientation dictates everything. From November through March, the North Pacific storm track is in full swing, the Aleutian Low strengthens, and a steady diet of long-period groundswell pushes into the region. Average wave heights run 1.0-1.1m (3-4ft) with periods sitting in the powerful 12 second range, while the swell spectrum tilts heavily toward W/WSW/WNW energy - lines that wrap into the cove and set up on the point. Even more important, offshore winds from the N/NNE/NW/NNW quadrant are at their climatological peak, with ideal wind present 59-70 percent of the time from December through February. That combination of size, period, and clean surface is the recipe Latigo needs. While pure SSE/S/SSW swell is less common in midwinter, the westerly groundswell fills the exposed windows and the crisp offshore mornings can produce genuinely excellent, rippable waves.

Fair Surf Season (April - May and September - October)

The shoulder seasons at Latigo are fickle but full of potential. April actually posts the largest average swell height of the year at 1.2m (4ft), but the wind window narrows to 45 percent ideal. May sees the first meaningful SSW swell start to show, though ideal offshore wind drops to only 29 percent and the daily W/SW sea breeze often chops the surface. September and October are the wildcards: water temperature peaks at 17.5°C in September, late-season south-southwest and even SSE energy pulses up from Baja hurricanes, and the return of NW/NNW wind improves the overall quality. October's average period of 12.7s is the longest of the year, so when the wind does line up, the surf can turn on quickly.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is technically the south swell season at Latigo - the SSW and SW directions dominate the swell rose - but it is also the slowest and trickiest stretch of the year. Average wave heights drop to 0.9-1.0m (3ft), and ideal offshore winds are present only 24-34 percent of the time. The prevailing afternoon WSW/W/SW winds are onshore or side-shore for a south-facing beach, which tears the long-period groundswell apart and makes the point feel small and messy. Dawn patrol is the move. When a solid SSW groundswell pulse aligns with a light offshore N/NNW wind, the cove can still deliver clean, fun-sized waves, but consistency is low and the crowds are heavy.