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.

February: The Doldrums of Winter

February mirrors January’s struggles, with average swell height still at 0.9m and a slightly longer period of 10.9s. The swell distribution is nearly identical: 48.7% from S and 49.8% from SSW, meaning almost no energy from the more favorable western quadrants. Ideal wind plummets to just 7% – the lowest of the entire year. Why? Because the SW-WSW wind sector (combined 43.8%) dominates, and much of that blows at 10-20kph, creating a constant onshore chop. The 0.5-1m range dominates (77% of all waves), with only a tiny fraction reaching 1-1.5m. Those rare days when the wind swings to the north or east (NNE, NE) can deliver clean but tiny conditions. For the dedicated surfer, this is a month to check the long-term charts for a Southern Ocean storm that sends a long-period SSW swell, paired with a brief high-pressure window – a rare gem if it all aligns.