Horseshoe • Statistics for March

March: The Monsoon Begins to Wane

March is the tail end of the prime northeast monsoon swell season. The average height eases to 4ft (1.3m) and period still holds at 9.5s, so there are plenty of fun, head-high waves. The swell direction continues to be dominated by ENE - 55.9% of observations - with NE still contributing 40.4%. Interestingly, the ENE window is the most favorable angle for Horseshoe's east exposure, so the waves often have a cleaner, more organized feel than the midwinter NE-swell events. The 1-1.5m (3-5ft) class accounts for a huge 60% of the swell energy.

Wind remains the monkey wrench, however, with ENE at 29.8%, E at 20.9%, and NE at 19.6% combining to keep things mostly cross-onshore. Ideal wind is just 2%. Still, as the monsoon weakens, the trades tend to be lighter and more variable, and there are early-morning windows of clean lineup. With air temperature 27.2°C, water 27.9°C and only 8.3mm/day of rain, surface conditions are warm and spring-like. It is a solid month for a surfer who wants quality waves without the swollen, lumpy winter energy.