Seal Beach • Statistics for February

February: Still Prime Time

February continues the midwinter theme with average swell near 3ft (0.9m) and a 12.1s period. The direction mix remains heavily weighted to the west quadrants: W 41.9%, WSW 37.7%, and SW 13.7%, with a modest SSW contribution at 3.2%. While the low end of the range is still the most common (0.5-1m is about 67% of observations), there are more 3-5ft (1-1.5m) waves than in January - nearly 23% - giving the lineup a bit more push. The offshore wind frequency eases slightly, with ideal conditions around 40%. NE flow remains the main clean-wind source, though WSW/SW onshore flow begins to make a play for the afternoon hours (WSW at 12%, SW at 9%). Early, on a NNE/NE wind, the surface is often clean and lined up; by afternoon, the ocean texture increases. Water temp drops to 14.0°C, and with average air temperature at 14.3°C and decent rain run-off, banked-up sandbars can be on the menu after winter storms.