Wainui Beach • Statistics for November

November: The Pre-Summer Transition

November is the hinge between spring and summer, and the surf reflects it. Average swell height drops to 5ft (1.5m), the period falls back to 9.8 seconds, and ideal wind frequency decreases to 41 percent. The swell direction mix is still decent - E through SSE is around 42 percent and direct S another 19 percent - but the energy is less organized, with more waves in the 3-5ft range and fewer of the big, long-period groundswells that winter brought. Wind becomes more variable as high pressure starts to rebuild over New Zealand. The NNW/NW/WNW offshore flow is still present around 40 percent of the time, but NE and E winds become more common, bringing afternoon sea-breeze effects that can put a texture on the surface. Water temperature warms to 16.0°C and air temperatures average 14.9°C. November is not the month to score the biggest waves of the year, but there are still plenty of playful, rippable days if you work the tidal windows and morning offshore.