Fishermans Point - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (May - June & October - November)

The rhythm at Fishermans Point is heavily dictated by the seasonal shift of the African monsoon and the positioning of the St. Helena High. When the trades relax and the pressure gradient eases, we see windows of clean, workable surf. Late spring (May-June) and early fall (October-November) deliver the highest percentage of clear offshore flow from the west quadrant, as defined for this spot. During these months, the prevailing S-SSW swell trains, though not ideal for the WNW-facing beach, are wrapped with enough period (10-12s) to produce fun-sized, rippable lines, especially when combined with glassy mornings. The wind blows offshore (WNW-W-WSW-SW) a significant portion of the time, making those months the most consistent for quality sessions.

Fair Surf Season (March - April & July - September & December)

These months represent a mixed bag. March and April see a building swell from the Southern Ocean, but the onshore flow (SW-WSW) picks up, limiting ideal conditions to only 7-14% of the time. July through September offer the largest average swell heights (1.3-1.5m) from the S-SSW, but the trade winds strengthen, creating bumpy, wind-affected conditions more often than not. December still carries some of the fall’s promise, but swell heights drop and the ideal wind window narrows to 31% – making it a gamble, though occasional long-period groundswell can still slide in.

Low Surf Season (January - February)

Mid-winter is the quietest period. The Southern Ocean swell machine is still running, but the dominant S and SSW swell rarely aligns with the WNW exposure, and when it does, the fetch is often minimal. On top of that, the persistent SW-WSW winds, which are onshore for this beach, blow over 40% of the time, turning even the small 0.5-1m waves into choppy, messy conditions. Ideal wind drops to just 7-14% in these months, making it a time best suited for long walks on the sand or waiting for the rare, clean window.

April: Building Swell, Fickle Wind

April sees a jump in average swell height to 1.1m and period to 11.8s – solid, long-period groundswell starting to dominate. The swell direction is overwhelmingly from the south: 70.4% from S alone, with 29.1% from SSW. This means the majority of waves are still from the unfavored south, but the higher period (10-14s range) allows for better refraction into the WNW exposure. Ideal wind improves to 14% of the time, with lighter flows from the SE quadrant (ESE, SE, SSE) increasing – these are not technically offshore by our definition, but can be cross-shore and clean. The wind roses show a significant portion of SW-WSW winds (39.7%), which remain onshore. Surfable days come when a high-pressure cell sits over the Sahara, drawing in lighter NE-E winds that clean up the south swell. Waves in the 1-1.5m range are common (65.2% of total), and occasional 1.5-2m sets appear (2.5%). It’s a transitional month – patience pays off for the few pristine sessions.