Conditions at Bunkers in January
January: Deep Winter Power
January is the heart of the Bunkers season. The average swell runs 7ft (2.1m) with a 7.5s period, and the swell window is loaded: W, WNW and NW directions together produce about 29% of all waves, with an additional 17% from WSW/SW. Waves are mostly in the solid 3-8ft (1-2.5m) range, making for punchy, powerful surf. The average period is just 7.5s, so most of this is short-period windswell, but when a low pressure deepens in the Norwegian Sea, longer-period groundswell can arrive with serious push.
Wind is the wildcard. Westerly through northwesterly winds blow around 27% of the time and will wreck the surface, but offshore east-to-south-southeast winds account for 24% of the hours, giving about 18% genuinely clean time. On those days, after a cold front has swung the wind offshore, Bunkers can be hollow and fast. Air temperatures average 2.4°C with a water temp of 4.1°C, so this is full Arctic rubber territory.
Average Spot conditions at Bunkers in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Bunkers during January. 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 Bunkers for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Bunkers for January. 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 Bunkers.