Spessard Holland • Statistics for September

September: The Season Turns the Corner

September is the first month that really excites Spessard Holland surfers. Average swell height jumps to 2-3ft (0.8m), period to 9.0s-the highest of the year-and the swell direction distribution is right in the sweet spot: ENE and E each contribute 35-37%, with NE at 13% and NNE at 2%. This is a legitimate groundswell month. The 1-3ft (0.5-1m) class is robust, but the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) and 5-7ft (1.5-2.1m) categories from ENE/NE are far more common than during the summer months. Tropical cyclones often add a serious x-factor, occasionally pushing waves beyond the 6ft (1.8m) mark.

Wind remains the sticking point: ideal offshore conditions only occur 16% of the time. The subtropical ridge still sends frequent E/NE winds, and ENE/ESE breezes keep the surface bumpy between passing fronts. Still, as the Atlantic hurricane season intensifies and the first cold fronts begin to dip south late in the month, the combination of longer-period ENE groundswell and W/SW post-frontal winds can produce the first truly good sessions since spring. Air temp averages 80°F (26.8°C) and water temp is still warm at 84°F (28.7°C), so event-level surf often arrives with tropical humidity.