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.

May: The Window Widens

May is a turning point. Average swell height climbs to 1.2m and period to 12.2s, delivering powerful, long-period energy. The swell source remains stubbornly south (81.2% from S, 18.1% from SSW), but the period is now in the 10-14s sweet spot, meaning these south swells have enough oomph to wrap around and stand up at Fishermans Point. The game-changer is the wind: ideal conditions jump to 41% of the time – the highest since the previous fall. The trade winds weaken, and we see a dramatic increase in light easterly flow (ENE, E, ESE) which, while not strictly offshore (our definition is west quadrant), provides clean, glassy surfaces. The dominant wind directions shift to SE-SSE (14.4% combined) and S-SSW (27.4%), with many of those readings in the 0-10kph range. This means more mornings with mirror-like water. Surf size is fun: 1-1.5m waves account for 75.9% of the swell, with a few 1.5-2m sets (6.6%). May is one of the best months for consistent, clean surf at Fishermans Point – not epic, but reliable.