Badoc Island Lefts • Statistics for August

August: Wet, Windy and Frustrating

August is statistically the wettest month, with precipitation averaging 15.83mm/day, and the surf situation remains much the same as July. The average swell height increases to 1.3m and the period rises to 7.4s, but again the direction is the problem: SW accounts for 48% of the wave rose, WSW 15%, SSW 11% and W another 3%, leaving less than 10% of the swell in the favorable northern quadrant. The height distribution within the SW swells even contains some meaty 1.5-2m (5-6ft) and 2-2.5m (6-8ft) waves, but for Badoc Island Lefts they are blocked or crossing the lineup with no real shape.

The southwest monsoon wind regime continues to deliver excellent offshore conditions on paper: S and SSW combine for over 50% and ideal winds reach 46%, yet clean and small is still the reality. Air temperature is 26.4°C and water temp is 29.8°C, so the tropical heat is relentless. Late August marks the ramp-up of the Pacific typhoon season. If a typhoon tracks north then pulls back northerly winds, this left can suddenly come alive, but such events are rare exceptions in an otherwise forgettable month.