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Conditions at Still Bay in January
January: The Summer SE Trade Machine
January is caught in the full South African summer pattern. The SE/E trade wind dominates, with E and ESE making up 33.9% of the wind distribution and the onshore SE-SSW quadrant adding another 34%. That leaves Still Bay's SSE-facing coastline exposed to a cross-onshore chop most days, and the ideal wind percentage sits at just 13%. Swell-wise, the ocean is far from flat: the average height is 1.9m (6ft) with a 10.6s period, and the SE/SSE/S/SSW complex supplies more than two-thirds of the total wave energy, with a solid 31.9% of all swell coming from SSW. The strength of the groundswell is real, but the summer trades tend to overlay it. Look for the rare early mornings when a land breeze out of N-NNW meets a fading SSW swell - that combination can turn a messy 6ft (1.8m) average into clean, lined-up, rippable waves.
Air temperature averages 21.1°C, water temperature is 21.1°C, and rainfall is light at 0.65mm/day, so the main factor is wind rather than weather.
Average Spot conditions at Still Bay in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Still 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 Still Bay for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Still 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 Still Bay.