Punta Huanchaco • Statistics for September

September: Fading Wind Window, Still Winter Swell

September is a transition month with a foot in winter and an eye toward spring. Average swell height is still 1.8m (5.9ft) and the period remains a strong 12.8s, so the South Pacific is still sending generous groundswell. The swell distribution shifts more toward S at 37.4 percent and SSW at 59.8 percent, with 22.6 percent of S readings in the 1.5-2m class and another 35.3 percent of SSW readings in that same range. The 6-8ft sets are still present, but not as frequent as in June-August.

Wind quality deteriorates to 26 percent ideal, the lowest since summer. The S/SSW wind couplet is as strong as ever, and the clean offshore morning window becomes shorter. Air temperature is at its annual minimum at 18.6°C, water is 17.1°C, and precipitation is only 0.11 mm/day. If you catch a light east wind over a fading swell, the surf can still be world-class; otherwise expect sideshore texture with a lot of water moving.