Parking Lots • Statistics for August

August: Hurricane Season Sparks Begin to Stir

August remains small and short-period for most of the month, with average height at 3.3ft (1.0m) and period at 7.1s. ENE and E continue their stranglehold on the swell direction, combining for more than 80 percent of the wave energy; favorable north sources are under 3 percent. Aside from local windswell, the daily menu is mostly lukewarm, mushy trade-wind surf.

Yet August also marks the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season's prime. If a tropical cyclone or broad low-pressure system tracks through the region, it can throw long-period east or southeast swell that wraps and builds on the north-facing banks. The wind forecast becomes crucial on those days; ideal offshore wind percentages rise to 41 percent, giving alert surfers a chance to score the rare summer gem. Water temperature is 29.0°C (84.2°F), air temps average 28.6°C (83.5°F), and precipitation peaks at 3.77 mm/day.