Conditions at Cables in August
August: Deep Winter Peak at Cables
August is the big-water peak of the Cables calendar. Average swell matches July at 2.7m (9ft), and the average period stretches to 13.1s - the longest of the year. Swell direction is again driven by the south/southwest storm track, with SW at 31.9% and WSW at 14.2%; add W at 2.9% and you have a solid chunk of the distribution arriving from the ideal west/southwest window. The majority of surf falls in the 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) range, while >2.5m (8ft+) remains present around 3% of the time.
The main challenge in August is wind. Ideal offshore flow shows up 38% of the time, but the westerly quadrant is the largest single group: WSW 8.3%, W 7.3%, WNW 7.4%, NW 7.0%. That means a significant portion of the month is too onshore or stormy for clean conditions. Still, when a high pressure system parks itself in the Bight and the ESE/SE flow kicks in, Cables produces some of the heaviest, longest and most memorable waves of the year. Water temperature bottoms out near 18.2°C and air averages 15.6°C, so layering up is part of the program.
Average Spot conditions at Cables in August
Swell history for August
Wind history for August
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cables during August. 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 Cables for your next trip in August.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cables for August. 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 Cables.