Middles

Best Surf Season (November - February)

The heart of winter brings the most consistent and quality surf to Middles. As the Aleutian Low and North Pacific storms intensify, a steady diet of SW to W groundswells march towards the California coast. Crucially, these months boast the highest percentage of offshore winds — from the N, NNE, and NE — thanks to strong high-pressure systems building over the Great Basin. This combo delivers clean, lined-up waves in the 1.0-1.5m range with punchy 10-13s periods. December often sees the peak, with offshore winds blowing 59% of the time, turning even moderate swell into rippable gems. January stays solid, though the wind becomes a bit more variable. February holds its own, with the potential for bigger events as the storm track dips south.

Fair Surf Season (October & March)

Shoulder months offer a mixed bag of opportunities. October sees the surf season reawaken as the first strong fall storms generate long-period SW groundswells (13-14s). Offshore wind consistency improves to 37%, but the wind can be fluky, often switching to onshore S/SW as weak fronts pass. March brings a fading winter swell regime; the average wave height stays around 1.1m and periods remain solid, but the wind ideal percentage drops to 32%. Early season swells can be excellent, but you'll need to be ready to dodge onshore flow. Both months require a bit more patience and a keen eye on the models.

Low Surf Season (April - September)

The summer doldrums hit Middles hard. From April through September, the North Pacific storm track retreats, leading to weaker, smaller swell energy. Swell direction shifts to a more southerly component (SSW, SW, WSW) but unfortunately, the wind patterns become dominated by a thermal trough, bringing persistent onshore flow from the S, SW, and WSW. The percentage of ideal offshore winds plummets to 10-25% during these months. Waves are blown out and small, averaging 0.9-1.1m even if the period is long (13-14s). While May and June can see a brief window of cleaner conditions right before a heatwave builds, generally, this is a time to grab a log and find a sheltered nook, or wait for a rare tropical system to spin up in the Eastern Pacific. Even then, the wind usually ruins the party.