Canoes - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific stirs to life as autumn deepens, and Canoes begins to see a steady pulse of groundswell. Average wave heights climb to 1.5-1.8m with periods stretching into the 11-13 second range, delivering the most powerful surf of the year. While the dominant swell directions are from the north and east, the occasional S-SW swell can sneak in, aligning perfectly with the beach's SW exposure. Offshore wind conditions (N, NNW, NW, WNW) become more frequent, with ideal wind percentages peaking near 26% in January. This window offers the best chance for clean, lined-up waves, even if the swell direction is often not ideal.

Fair Surf Season (April, May, September)

Transition months bring a mix of waning winter energy and building summer patterns. Swell heights hold around 1.4-1.6m with periods of 11-12 seconds, but the consistency drops and wind becomes more variable. April and September see a slight uptick in ideal offshore wind (16-17%), but the dominant swell shifts further east, making it harder to find quality. May offers a brief window of better wind (21%) but the swell remains small and directionally challenged. These months can deliver fun sessions if the right combination of south swell and offshore breeze lines up.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer settles in with a persistent trade wind regime from the ENE and E, dominating over 80% of the time. Ideal offshore wind plummets to just 7-10%, and the swell is almost entirely from the east and southeast, missing Canoes' SW-facing setup altogether. Wave heights hover around 1.5m but with short, weak periods (10-11s) and a choppy, wind-affected texture. This is the slowest stretch of the year, where only the most dedicated will find small, groveling waves under less-than-ideal conditions.

January: Deep Winter Power

January delivers the biggest and most consistent surf of the year, with an average wave height of 1.8m and a commanding 12.6s period. The swell is driven by strong low-pressure systems across the North Pacific, churning up long-period energy. However, the predominant swell directions are from the NW (21.6%) and WNW (13.6%), which are far from ideal for Canoes' SW exposure. Only about 5% of the swell arrives from the preferred S-SW quadrant. The silver lining is wind: offshore flows from N through WNW occur 26% of the time, enough to groom the faces when the waves do line up. ENE winds dominate at 29.9%, but these are side-offshore and can still produce workable conditions. Overall, January offers the most power but requires patience to pick the right swell direction.