Angourie - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (May - August)

Angourie fires best during the cooler months of the Southern Hemisphere autumn and winter. As the Pacific storm track shifts northward, a steady stream of E to SSE groundswells marches into the NSW coast, with average wave heights hovering around a solid 1.6m and periods averaging 9.3-9.4 seconds, often stretching into the 10-14s range. More importantly, the frequency of offshore winds from the SW to WNW quadrant peaks dramatically — reaching 58-65% ideal conditions. This combo delivers clean, lined-up surf at the Point and Main Beach, with punchy peaks that wrap beautifully around the headland. If there’s a window of consistency, this is it.

Fair Surf Season (April, September, October)

The shoulder months offer a mix of quality and quantity. April still sees lingering summer swell with periods averaging 9.1s, but the wind patterns transition: ideal offshore percentages climb to 47% in April before dropping in September and October (43% and 31% respectively). During this transition, you can score fun-sized waves with occasional long-period pulses, though the trade-off is variable wind regimes. September sees a return of NE/ENE swell, but the wind clock also includes more N to NE onshore flow, requiring careful session timing.

Low Surf Season (November - March)

The summer months bring the weakest surf consistency at Angourie. From November through February, average swell heights drop to 1.4-1.5m, periods shorten to 8.0-8.8s, and most critically, the dominant wind pattern shifts to NE to SE onshore flow that ruins wave quality. Ideal offshore wind percentages bottom out at 20-25% in December, January, and February. While there are still occasional E to ENE swells that can produce rideable waves — especially early mornings before the sea breeze kicks in — the overall picture is dominated by choppy, messy conditions. March is a transition month, with improving winds (31% ideal) but still mostly short-period swell.

December: Summer Slump

December kicks off the summer slump at Angourie. Average swell height is 1.4m with a period of 8.1s. Swell directions are dominated by E (17.6%), ESE (16.6%), and SE (15.4%), with a notable contribution from ENE (14.8%) and NE (14.0%). The wind pattern is poor: ideal offshore flow occurs only 24% of the time. Winds blow most frequently from the N (10.8%), NNE (9.5%), NE (9.7%), and SSE (12.1%). These onshore and side-shore winds create bumpy, messy conditions that make even the occasional E swell look unattractive. The wave period is mostly in the short, choppy range (<5-8s), so power is lacking. Surfing is possible on the rare days when a tropical low or cyclone in the Coral Sea sends a pulse of E swell coinciding with a W wind change. Otherwise, expect small, weak waves perfect for beginners but frustrating for advanced surfers. The best bet is to target mornings with a light NW land breeze.