Conditions at Waimea in January
January: The North Pacific Roars
January sits at the apex of winter energy. Average swell height hits 8.8ft (2.7m) and average period reaches 12.8s, placing the month firmly in the powerful long-period category. The swell rose tells the story: NNW dominates with 16.2% and NW adds 9.5%, while W/WNW combine for a further 2.0%; together the northwest quadrant is the engine of the bay. Most of these swells arrive in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) and over 8ft (2.5m+) classes, so the bay is routinely firing and occasionally in XXL territory. Winds are dominated by E (23.1%) and ENE (17.8%), giving Waimea predominantly offshore or cross-offshore flow; ideal E/ESE/SE/SSE wind occurs 28% of the time. Onshore W/WNW/NW winds are rare, which means when the swell is up, the wave faces tend to hold their shape. Air temps average a warm 22.8°C with water at 24.1°C and around 2mm/day of rain - classic Hawaiian winter.
Average Spot conditions at Waimea in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Waimea during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Waimea for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Waimea for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Waimea.