Historical swell reports and spot statistics
When planning a surf trip, it can be challenging to predict wave conditions for the upcoming months. To gain insight on wave patterns, wind direction and other key information, it is beneficial to analyze past data.
Swellarchive.com is a valuable resource that offers wave and wind information for a wide variety of surf spots around the globe. Our website allows you to easily compare different surf spots for your planned travel period and examine wave patterns for specific locations over the past several years. This is made possible by utilizing archived simulation data from the GFS-Wave model between 1980 and 2021. Use our website to plan your next surf trip and make the most of the waves.
Example of a daily surf report plot
The surf report plot depicting historical information such as the swell height and direction, swell period, and wind speed and direction for each day of the month. The bars denoting the swell height are color-coded based on the corresponding swell period, ranging from light blue to dark blue.
Longer lines indicate higher average wave heights, while shorter lines represent lower wave heights.
Understanding Swell Types
Wind Swell
The height of the green bars represents the average occurrence of wind swell conditions for each month. Wind swell typically results from local winds and is characterized by shorter, choppier waves. These conditions may be suitable for some water activities like bodyboarding.
Ground Swell
The height of the blue bars indicates the average occurrence of ground swell conditions for each month. Ground swell is created by distant storms and tends to produce longer, more organized waves. Surfers often prefer ground swell conditions for optimal wave riding experiences.
Direction data is expressed in degrees, with 0 degrees representing north and 180 degrees representing south.