8th Street Jetty - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (September - November)

As summer transitions to autumn, the North Atlantic begins to spin up more potent extratropical storms, and their long-period swell trains start marching toward the East Coast. September stands out as the month with the highest average period (8.3s) and a solid 1.1m average height, driven by a climatological peak in optimal swell directions from the east through southeast. Wind conditions are also favorable, with 40% ideal offshore flow from the west-northwest through southwest. October and November maintain this momentum, offering a compelling blend of size, period, and direction that consistently puts 8th Street Jetty in the firing line for clean, rippable waves.

Fair Surf Season (December - February & April - May)

The heart of winter (December through February) delivers the largest average swell heights (1.3m) and periods hovering around 7 seconds, thanks to powerful low-pressure systems tracking across the North Atlantic. However, the wind machine is less cooperative—offshore flow from the west-northwest and northwesterly quadrants occurs only 37-39% of the time, and a significant portion of the swell arrives from less-than-optimal southerly and southwesterly directions, degrading wave quality with onshore crumble. Spring (April and May) sees a drop in average swell height to 1.0-1.2m, but the wind becomes more reliable (37% ideal in May) and swell directions shift toward the more favorable eastern quadrants, making for cleaner, more playful conditions on a good day.

Low Surf Season (June - August & March)

During the summer months, the jet stream retreats northward, and the Atlantic storm track weakens significantly. Average swell heights bottom out at 0.8-0.9m with short periods around 7 seconds. While the wind is at its cleanest (45-50% offshore flow from the west-southwest through northwest), the vast majority of the swell is comprised of small, short-period windswell from the southeast and south—directions that are largely onshore and often lead to mushy, weak waves. March is a transitional month with average size (1.3m) but the lowest wind quality of the year (32% ideal) and a swell mix that leans too heavily toward the south and east, rarely aligning with the perfect offshore breeze needed for 8th Street Jetty to fire.

November: Winter’s Warm-Up

November maintains the momentum with an average swell height of 1.3m and period of 7.2s. Swell direction is diverse: S (9.9%), E (9.8%), SSE (8.7%), and SE (8.7%) are all significant, with a notable increase in ENE (6.0%) and NE (3.7%) contributions as winter storm tracks intensify. The optimal E/ESE/SE quadrants still account for nearly 30% of the swell. Wind quality is 38% ideal, with WNW (12.6%), NW (11.3%), and W (11.0%) dominating the offshore quadrant. These winds are often strong, but they keep the waves clean and lined up. November delivers consistent, solid surf. The combination of long-period groundswell from strong North Atlantic lows and a favorable offshore breeze can produce firing sessions at 1.5-2.5m. It’s a month for experienced surfers to chase the big, clean sets.