Santa Maria • Statistics for October

October: Swell Builds and the Wind Window Narrows Again

October sees the first true groundswell pulses of the new season. Average wave height is 1.5m (5ft), but the average period leaps to 10.1s, returning to the powerful category. The swell mix is still dominated by NNE (58.5%), with meaningful N (16.8%) and NNW (14.1%) contributions; the ideal S/SW window remains empty in the statistics, but the increase in period means whatever arrives at the island has real push. Heights are spread across the 1-2m (3-6ft) range, with 25.6% of NNE swell in the 1.5-2m (5-6ft) class and another 27.4% at 1-1.5m (3-5ft). Winds are unfortunately turning back toward the NE trades: NE is 46.6%, NNE 37.5%, and ideal offshore drops to 19%. Water temperature is a balmy 26.9°C, air temps 26.1°C, rainfall drops to 0.75 mm/day. October is a month of building potential - check the buoys for a north pulse and hope the trades ease overnight.