Casino Pier - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The brunt of the North Atlantic storm track aims directly at Casino Pier from October through March, delivering average swell heights of 1.2-1.3m and periods that frequently push into the 7-8 second range. During these months, the dominant swell directions rotate through the eastern quadrants (ENE, E, ESE, SE), which align best with the east-facing beach. While offshore wind frequencies hover around 27-35%, the combination of stronger, longer-period groundswells and west-to-northwest wind events (WSW, W, WNW, NW) can produce epic, pumping days – especially in December and January when the jet stream is most active. Look for the classic winter setup: a deep low off the coast, followed by brisk offshore flow, to score clean, hollow waves at the pier.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)

These transitional months offer a mixed bag. April and May see average swell heights drop to 1.0-1.2m, with the wave period still hanging around 7.2-7.4s. The percentage of offshore wind improves slightly (29-35%), but the swell becomes increasingly dominated by south and southeast directions (S, SSE, SE) – a less optimal angle for the east-facing pier, resulting in more crumbly, less powerful waves. September marks the first real pulse of autumn energy: average height climbs back to 1.1m, period jumps to 8.3s, and the swell direction spreads back toward the east (ESE, E, SE). Offshore wind is still decent at 36%, making it a prime month for catching the first decent sets before winter fully arrives.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

The summer months at Casino Pier are characterized by small, weak surf. Average heights bottom out at 0.8-0.9m, and while the offshore wind frequency peaks at 44-49% (thanks to building southwest and west winds), the swell is overwhelmingly from the south and southeast (SSE, SE, S) – not ideal for the east-facing orientation. The wave periods remain mediocre (6.9-7.5s), meaning most days produce nothing more than knee-high, wind-affected slop. However, occasional tropical storms or hurricanes can spin up short-period east swell, offering brief windows of fun-sized, groveling waves for those willing to wait out the long periods of flatness.

May: Late Spring Lulls

May brings a significant drop in average swell height to 1.0m, though the period holds at 7.2s. The swell direction is overwhelmingly from the southern quadrants: SSE (18.7%), S (18.3%), SE (15.9%), and E (15.4%) – all of which send waves at an unfavorable angle for the east-facing pier. The wave heights are mostly in the 0.5-1m range (groveling), with 1-1.5m only occurring 20-30% of the time. On the bright side, offshore wind frequency jumps to 35%, with SSW (11.7%), SW (9.0%), and W (5.8%) leading the way. These southwest winds are actually cross- to slightly offshore for the pier, cleaning up the surface but doing little to improve wave quality. The result is a long stretch of knee- to waist-high, weak surf – perfect for loggers but disappointing for performance surfing. The occasional east-southeast swell from a late-season storm can surprise, but those days are few and far between.