Umdloti • Statistics for January

January: Midsummer Trade-Wind Chop

January is the heart of the subtropical summer along the KZN coastline. The average wave height sits around 5-6ft (1.6m) and the period is a modest 8.9s, which means there is always some swell to look at, but the wind is the weak link. The ideal wind blows only 18% of the time. On the wind rose, NE (20.0%) and ENE (15.9%) are the big players, pushing exactly onshore at Umdloti's east-southeast-facing beaches. A secondary SSW (14.5%), S (10.9%) and SW (5.6%) signal is more cross-shore than offshore and rarely enough to groom the faces. The swell field itself is promising: the optimal ENE/E/ESE/SE quadrant accounts for about 68% of all waves, with E swell at 22.8%, ESE at 18.7%, SSE at 17.2% and SE at 16.7%. Much of that energy falls in the 3-6ft (1-2m) range, although E and ESE manage a handful of 6-8ft (2-2.5m) surf days. With air temps averaging 24.4°C, water at 25.3°C and 2.94 mm/day rain, expect sticky, humid conditions and afternoon storm chances. For Umdloti, January is about finding the dawn session before the north-easterly sea breeze ruins the surface.