Low Island • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

From October through March, Low Island sits squarely in the path of the North Pacific storm track. A strengthening Aleutian Low spawns a conveyor belt of extratropical cyclones, and the southwest-facing beach receives the full force of their WSW/SW groundswell. Average swell heights run 7.9-9.8ft (2.4-3.0m) with periods in the 10.4-11.8s range, so most days are powerful, heavy and often firing. The catch is the wind: the local wind rose is dominated by E/ESE/SE flow during winter, and only 26-36% of days are truly offshore from the N/NE/E quadrant. When high pressure builds over the continent and cold air pours out from the N/NE/E, Low Island can serve up hard, clean, long-period waves on a dramatic winter stage.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)

April is arguably the most balanced month of the year here, with the wind ideal 37% of the time and average swell still 7.2ft (2.2m) at 10.8s. May and September mark the shoulder seasons: the storm track fades in May but the summer SW/WSW groundswell machine keeps the wave rose alive, while September sees the first autumn low-pressure systems re-engaging the coastline. Surf is generally rideable and often fun, but you trade the winter's raw power for smaller, more manageable conditions.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

The weakest months at Low Island are June, July and August. The Aleutian Low retreats northward, average swell heights drop to 4.3-4.6ft (1.3-1.4m), and average periods fall to 9.8-10.2s. The wave rose still shows an impressive concentration of SW/WSW energy, but a large portion sits in the 1.6-4.9ft (0.5-1.5m) range - fun-sized and groveling rather than pumping. Frequent NW cross-shore winds and summer sea breezes keep the ideal wind percentage between just 23% and 28%. It remains a small-wave playground, but summer rarely delivers the sort of powerful, organized surf that defines the autumn-to-spring period.