Cardiff Reef - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific comes alive during these months, generating consistent, long-period swell from the W and WSW that pours into Cardiff Reef. With an average wave period of 12-13 seconds and heights sitting in the fun to solid range (1-1.5m), the reef pulses with powerful, rideable waves. The real key, though, is the wind: offshore flow from the NE to ESE quadrant blows clean 22-50% of the time, sculpting glassy faces and making the most of every set. When a strong Aleutian low parks itself in the Gulf of Alaska, we see those epic, pumping days with waves in the 1.5-2.5m range. This is prime time — cold water, big skies, and consistent action.

Fair Surf Season (April & September)

These shoulder months are a mixed bag, as the swell pattern transitions. April still gets a decent dose of W and WSW swell (average 1.1m, 13.3s period), but the offshore wind window narrows to just 16%. You’ll often find a morning window with a light ENE breeze, but by mid-day the onshore flow kicks in. September sees the tail end of summer south swells from the SSW and SW, with average heights around 1m and very long periods (13.6s). However, ideal offshore winds are rare — only 6% of the time. When the stars align, those long-period ground swells combine with a morning offshore — that’s when you score clean, peeling lines.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

Summer brings a dramatic shift: the dominant swell shifts to the SSW and SW, primary from Southern Hemisphere storms and local eddies. While wave periods remain long (13.5-13.8s), the heights are small — averaging just 1.0m or less, most of it in the 0.5-1.5m fun-sized range. The real problem is the wind: offshore flow plummets to 1-4%, meaning the prevailing west to southwest winds (onshore) chop up the wave faces 90% of the time. Occasional early morning glass-offs with a light easterly can offer short windows, but overall it’s a struggle. Look for grindy small-wave boards and hope for a rare tropical storm pulse to break the monotony.

July: Peak Summer Lull

July brings the smallest and most inconsistent surf of the year at Cardiff. Swell comes primarily from SW (47%) and WSW (30%), with a notable 18% from SSW. Average heights are just 1.0m, and over 95% of all swell is less than 1.5m. The period remains high at 13.7s, so when a pulse arrives, it has long-period finesse, but the waves lack push. Offshore wind is essentially non-existent (1%). The dominant wind is onshore from the W (40%) and WSW (29%), often blowing 10-20kph. The water is warm, but the surf is choppy, soft, and frustrating. Your best chance for a clean wave is to be on the water at sunrise before the sea breeze kicks in, and hope that a rare tropical system sends some energy north.