Conditions at Thorli in October
October: The Atlantic Reawakens
October is the true beginning of the Icelandic surf season. Average swell height jumps back to 7-8ft (2.4m), period climbs to 9.8 seconds, and the frequency of strong extratropical storms in the North Atlantic increases sharply. The cost is wind quality: ideal offshore flow drops to 16 percent. Northeast winds dominate with NNE (14.1%) and NE (11.3%) both highly represented, producing a lot of onshore chop for an east-facing beach. NNW winds (11.2%) are also frequent and can offer help if they wrap correctly. The favorable NE-ESE-SE window accounts for 15 percent of the wave rose, with SE (6.8%) and ESE (5.2%) carrying most of that clean, long-period energy. Heights in that window are mostly 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft), solid enough for Thorli to show its character. The surge in Atlantic lows means swell windows are more frequent, and when a west/southwest offshore wind aligns with a southeast swell, it can be world-class. Air temperatures average 3.4°C, water temps drop to 8.4°C, and precipitation averages 4.76 mm/day.
Average Spot conditions at Thorli in October
Swell history for October
Wind history for October
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Thorli during October. 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 Thorli for your next trip in October.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Thorli for October. 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 Thorli.