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Conditions at Betty's Bay in January
January: Mid-Summer Groundswell Meets the Cape Doctor
January in Betty's Bay is classic austral summer: the South Atlantic High is locked in, and the dominant wind signal is a relentless ESE/SE trade flow - ESE (19.3%), SE (19.1%) and SSE (13.5%) account for more than half of all observations. For this southeast-facing stretch, that means frequent sideshore/onshore chop and just 18% ideal offshore wind windows, usually in the early morning. The swell side is surprisingly strong, however. Average wave height sits at 7ft (2.1m) and the mean period is 11.1s, with SW (32.7%) and SSW (20.7%) powering the bulk of the groundswell. Most of that energy falls in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.4m) range, so when the NW offshore breeze lines up, Betty's Bay can deliver clean, long-period, rippable surf. With air temperatures around 20.0C, water at 19.0C and very little rain (0.60mm/day), the main enemy is not the cold but the afternoon trade wind.
Average Spot conditions at Betty's Bay in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Betty's Bay during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Betty's Bay for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Betty's Bay for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Betty's Bay.