Conditions at Calais in January
January: Midwinter Windswell
January delivers the largest average surf of the year at Calais-around 3.5ft (1.1m)-but the average period is only 5.3s, meaning almost all of this energy arrives as short-period, locally generated windswell. The wave rose is dominated by WSW and SW sources (13.7% and 15.0%), with a healthy NNW contribution at 9.5%. Although the N/NNE/NW/NNW window makes up a solid share of the wave directions, much of that size is accompanied by cold westerly synoptic flow. Onshore winds from the north side are frequent, and ideal offshore winds occur just 6% of the time. Water temperature sits at 7.9°C and air averages 5.5°C, so good waves are a winter rarity to be seized between passing fronts.
Average Spot conditions at Calais in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Calais 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 Calais for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Calais 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 Calais.