Snapper Rocks • Statistics for January

January: Summer Trade Swells and Tropical Rain

January is a battle between the tropical monsoon and the South Pacific trade winds. The swell spectrum is dominated by E (39.3%) and ESE (23.6%), with nearly all of that energy in the 2-5ft (0.6-1.5m) range; average swell height is around 4ft (1.1m) and the average period is 8.0s. That gives punchy but not overly powerful waves. True N/NNE/NE/NNW swell only makes up around 11% of the wave directions, so Snapper is mostly relying on trade-wind swell wrapping into the point.

The wind pattern is less kind. NNW (13.4%) and NNE (9.6%) are the leading wind sources, both of which are onshore for this north-facing beach; ideal wind sits at 42%. The best opportunities come in the wake of a southerly change or in the morning before the sea-breeze kicks in, when S/SSW/SW flow turns those E/ESE lines into clean, rippable walls. Air temperatures average 21.3-30.1°C, water is 25.2°C, and tropical showers can dump 4.63mm/day.