Ral Island • Statistics for August

August: Trade Wind Consistency, Low Energy

August looks very similar to July. Average wave height holds at 2.6ft (0.8m) and the average period is 7.8 seconds. ENE and E dominate the swell window with 35.3 percent and 31.5 percent respectively, while NE contributes 12.4 percent and ESE adds 7.8 percent. Favorable N-family directions are just 9.0 percent. The surf is largely 2 to 3ft (0.5 to 1m), with a minority of 3 to 5ft (1 to 1.5m) E and ENE energy. It remains small, sectiony and best suited to high-performance small-wave surfing.

The southeast trade winds are at their peak, producing the highest ideal surfing percentage of the year at 64 percent. ESE, SE and E winds combine for over 64 percent of all wind observations, giving Ral Island its most consistently clean surface conditions. Air temps are the coolest of the year at 27.9°C, water temperature drops slightly to 29.2°C and rainfall is low for the dry season at 6.01mm per day. If the swell direction were better, this would be a superstar month. As it stands, it is a clean but small lull.