Ollie's Point • Statistics for March

March: Transitional Window with the First Real Southern Lines

March is the month when the long-period southern hemi energy first makes a serious appearance. The average swell period jumps to 11.0s, and favorable SSW swell climbs to 9.3 percent while SW reaches 8.9 percent and S accounts for 4.8 percent - all mostly in the 2-3ft (0.5-1m) and 3-5ft (0.9-1.5m) classes. That's a major shift from the two previous months. ENE swell is still the volume leader at 32.3 percent, but the mix broadens with E, ESE, SE and SSE all contributing. The trade winds have eased a touch too: NE drops to 41.6 percent and ENE to 37.3 percent, while the lighter NNW, NW and N directions appear more frequently. Ideal wind windows improve to 35 percent. This is the first month where a dawn patrol with light offshore winds and real SSW/SW groundswell can produce excellent point surf. Expect average heights around 4.6ft (1.4m), with the best waves coming from the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) SSW and SW bands. Air temperatures are warming to 27.4°C, water temperatures are 26.7°C, and precipitation is still scarce at 0.09 mm/day.