Hoddevika

Best Surf Season (October - March)

From October through March, Hoddevika sits directly in the firing line of the North Atlantic. The Icelandic low and its associated frontal systems push repeated swells toward the Norwegian coast, and the bay's west-northwest exposure means the most consistent, powerful groundswells arrive from W, WNW, NW and NNW. Average swell heights climb from 1.5m (5ft) in October to a midwinter peak near 2.0m (6.6ft) in January, with wave periods regularly exceeding 12 seconds. This is when the ocean is truly alive: cold, dark, stormy and occasionally pumping. The tradeoff is weather - winter storms bring rain, snow and strong S/SW winds, but when the wind shifts into the offshore E/ESE/SE/SSE quadrant, the bay turns glassy and heavy waves line up along the beach. Positive NAO phases tend to lock the storm track into the Norwegian Sea; that is when Hoddevika sees its best winter surf.