Best Surf Season (September - November)

As summer transitions to autumn, the North Atlantic begins to spin up more potent extratropical storms, and their long-period swell trains start marching toward the East Coast. September stands out as the month with the highest average period (8.3s) and a solid 1.1m average height, driven by a climatological peak in optimal swell directions from the east through southeast. Wind conditions are also favorable, with 40% ideal offshore flow from the west-northwest through southwest. October and November maintain this momentum, offering a compelling blend of size, period, and direction that consistently puts 8th Street Jetty in the firing line for clean, rippable waves.

Fair Surf Season (December - February & April - May)

The heart of winter (December through February) delivers the largest average swell heights (1.3m) and periods hovering around 7 seconds, thanks to powerful low-pressure systems tracking across the North Atlantic. However, the wind machine is less cooperative—offshore flow from the west-northwest and northwesterly quadrants occurs only 37-39% of the time, and a significant portion of the swell arrives from less-than-optimal southerly and southwesterly directions, degrading wave quality with onshore crumble. Spring (April and May) sees a drop in average swell height to 1.0-1.2m, but the wind becomes more reliable (37% ideal in May) and swell directions shift toward the more favorable eastern quadrants, making for cleaner, more playful conditions on a good day.

Low Surf Season (June - August & March)

During the summer months, the jet stream retreats northward, and the Atlantic storm track weakens significantly. Average swell heights bottom out at 0.8-0.9m with short periods around 7 seconds. While the wind is at its cleanest (45-50% offshore flow from the west-southwest through northwest), the vast majority of the swell is comprised of small, short-period windswell from the southeast and south—directions that are largely onshore and often lead to mushy, weak waves. March is a transitional month with average size (1.3m) but the lowest wind quality of the year (32% ideal) and a swell mix that leans too heavily toward the south and east, rarely aligning with the perfect offshore breeze needed for 8th Street Jetty to fire.