Cave Rock • Statistics for September

September: A Fading Winter Light

September is the transition back toward summer, with Cave Rock hanging onto the remnants of winter for as long as possible. The average swell height stays at 1.8m (5.9ft), but the period shortens to 9.6s, and ideal wind drops to 27% - a clear sign that the offshore flow is weakening. The wind rose is dominated by NE (17.8%) and SSW (19.7%), with only a small contribution from W/WNW/NW/NNW (1.2+1.2+1.5+4.1 = 8%). The swell direction is still quite mixed, with S (19.4%), SSE (17.3%), SE (14.5%), E (13.5%) and ENE (13.7%) all competing for space. The increased presence of ENE and E, combined with the onshore tendency of the wind, means the surf becomes less clean and more susceptible to chop. Water temp bottoms around 21.5°C, but the afternoon sea breeze arrives earlier and more aggressively. For the surfer, this is a month that rewards patience - hit it during a westerly wind episode after a cold front, and you can still find decent head-high lines, but the consistency is a shadow of May-August.