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.

December: Transitioning Back to Squalls

December begins the transition into the dry season, but the surf quality takes a slight step back. Average swell height drops to 0.9m, period 10.6s – smaller and shorter. Swell is still overwhelmingly from the south (84.3% from S, 14.8% from SSW). Ideal wind drops to 31% – still decent, but not as clean as November. The wind pattern starts to show more influence from the southwestern quadrant again: SW (18.4%) and WSW (15.0%) pick up, bringing more onshore chop. However, light winds from the east (ENE-E) still occur frequently (10.2% combined), providing clean windows. The 0.5-1m range dominates (77.7% of all waves), with some 1-1.5m sets (21.5%). The surf is generally small, but when a good southern swell overlaps with a high-pressure ridge that brings light easterly winds, you can still score fun, clean waves. December is a month of contrasts – one day can be perfect, the next blown out. Keep an eye on the synoptic charts and be ready to go when the conditions align.