Arish - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October – March)

Arish sits on a west-south-west facing stretch of the Western Sahara coast, and the statistics paint a clear picture: the spot’s optimal swell window – SSW through W – is virtually a ghost in the data. Nearly all of the wave energy arrives from the north (N, NNE, NW, NNW), wrapping around the Canary Islands and hitting the coast at a severe angle. That said, the winter half-year delivers the best compromise. From October through March, the North Atlantic storm track fires up, sending long-period groundswells (averaging 10–12 seconds) that push average heights into the 1.4–1.7m range. More importantly, the percentage of offshore wind (NNE through O) peaks during these months – December boasts a 50% ideal-wind rate, November 48%, and January 46%. When the trades ease and a strong high-pressure system parks over the Sahara, the offshore flow from the northeast to east grooms the north swell into clean, lined-up sets. Sure, the direction is never perfect, but the combination of size, period, and wind clarity makes this the go-to window for the best waves of the year.

Fair Surf Season (April & May & September)

As spring and early autumn take hold, the Atlantic storm activity begins to wane or has yet to ramp up. April and May still produce waves in the 1.4–1.6m range, but the average period drops to 8.5–9.9 seconds as the swell becomes more windswell-dominated. The north-northwest and north-north-east directions continue to dominate, and the wind becomes less reliable for creating that silky offshore texture – ideal-wind percentages fall to around 20–26%. September shows a similar pattern: average height 1.3m, period 8.4s, only 20% offshore wind. On the plus side, the sea breeze tends to be lighter during these transitional months, and the occasional late-season hurricane or early-season low can throw a longer-period pulse into the mix. For the patient surfer, there are fun, rippable waves to be found, but consistency and quality are a step down from the winter peak.

Low Surf Season (June – August)

The summer months are the leanest time at Arish. The North Atlantic storm track retreats, and the prevailing swell shifts to a short-period, locally generated windswell. Average wave height hovers around 1.4–1.5m, but the period plummets to 7.0–7.4 seconds – exactly the kind of bumpy, low-energy stuff that struggles to wrap into the beach properly. Compounding the problem, the wind regime becomes dominated by the trade winds blowing from the north and north-northeast at 20–40 kph, leaving only 10–13% of the time with offshore conditions. The result is a lot of choppy, crumbly surf that rarely breaks with any punch. While the rare pulse of long-period energy from a distant storm or a tropical system can briefly light things up, the summer default is small, weak, and often bumpy. Unless you’re desperate for a grovel session, this is the season to save your energy for winter.

April: Spring Lull Begins

April sees a tangible drop in wave quality as the average period falls to 9.9s, though height remains at a respectable 1.6m. The swell is still almost entirely from the north, with NNW (44.9%), N (23.3%), NW (17.6%), and NNE (10.3%) taking the lion’s share. The wind becomes more aggressive: NNE (37.1%) and N (25.8%) together account for nearly two-thirds of the observations, with speeds frequently in the 20–40 kph range. The ideal-wind percentage drops to 26%, and the strong trades often produce bumpy, chop-ridden surfaces. The shorter-period swell means the waves lack the deep-water power of winter, wrapping in a bit more weakly. The best sessions will occur on lighter wind days, typically when a high-pressure system slows the trades and allows a brief window of offshore easterly flow. Fun-sized waves are possible, but the consistency and power are diminished.