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Conditions at Hermanus in January
January: Summer Trade-Wind Grind
January at Hermanus is ruled by the South Atlantic high, with the wind rose showing a dominant ESE/SE/E flow-over 47% of all wind comes from between E and SE, often in the 20-40kph range. That is a direct onshore wind for the south-facing beaches and it quickly chops up what would otherwise be clean swell. The average swell stands at a still-healthy 2.1m (7ft), but periods of 11.1s mean it is only on the edge of the powerful long-period range. The swell direction is heavily biased toward SW (32.7%) and SSW (20.7%), with just 18.4% of total swells arriving from the more favorable S-SSE-SE quadrant. In other words, when the right combo of S/SSE swell and light NW/NNW wind aligns, January can deliver warm, glassy surf; but those windows only amount to about 12% of the time. Water temps sit at 19.6°C, air temps around 20.7°C, and rain is minimal.
Average Spot conditions at Hermanus in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Hermanus 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 Hermanus for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Hermanus 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 Hermanus.