Ormond Beach • Statistics for October

October: The Autumn Transition Begins

October marks the true return of surf season. Average wave heights hold around 2-3ft (0.7m) and the average period is a solid 8.4s, but the distribution of swell is the big story: ENE jumps to 36.1 percent, E 28.1, NE 17.6, and ESE drops to 6.9. That's a dramatic shift toward the optimal east-northeast window for Ormond Beach. The fly in the ointment is the wind. Onshore ENE winds are the single most common at 15.6 percent, with E at 11.9, NE 13.4, and NNE 10.5, so the ideal wind share is only 12 percent. October is all about timing. A sharp cold front sweeping through the East Coast will swing the wind into WNW or SW, and the combination of that offshore flow with building NE swell can produce some of the best waves of the year. Water temp remains warm at 26.5°C, air averages 23.1°C, and the humidity finally starts to drop. Watch the wind, not just the waves.