Humewood Pier - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (December - March)

Summer in the Southern Hemisphere brings the highest percentage of offshore wind conditions at Humewood Pier, with ideal S-SSW breezes blowing clean across the NNE-facing beach nearly 28% of the time. While the average swell heights dip to a modest 1.9-2.0m, the long-period groundswells from the South and Southwest (10-11s) combine with light offshores to produce clean, rippable waves. Don't expect any direct N-NE swell – that's virtually absent – but the combination of glassy mornings and punchy 1-1.5m sets from the dominant SSW can still deliver fun, groomed peaks, especially when a passing cold front aligns the wind perfectly.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & September - November)

During the shoulder months, the balance shifts. Swell energy slowly ramps up in autumn (April and May) with average heights reaching 2.1-2.2m and periods stretching to 12s, but the frequency of ideal light offshore wind drops to 23-25%. Spring (September to November) sees a similar mix: average swell around 2.1-2.3m with 11-12s periods, and favorable wind only about 22-25% of the time. The dominant swell direction remains stubbornly from the SSW-SW, meaning the pier rarely sees optimal N-NE swell. However, on those days when a high-pressure system stalls offshore and delivers a steady south-westerly breeze, the mid-sized swell becomes clean, powerful, and eminently surfable.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Winter is the most challenging period at Humewood Pier. The average wave heights increase to a solid 2.3-2.4m with long periods of 12.2-12.5s, indicating plenty of deep-ocean energy. Unfortunately, that's when the prevailing wind most often turns against the spot. The percentage of ideal S-SSW offshore wind plummets to 18-21%, while the onshore N-NE winds become more frequent and gusty, ruining wave quality. The swell direction remains locked in the SSW-SW quadrant, so even the bigger groundswells are often accompanied by cross or onshore winds, creating choppy, difficult conditions. The few good days come when a rare winter cold front delivers a short window of offshore flow; otherwise, it's a waiting game for the spring transition.

November: Pre-Summer Build-Up, Better Wind and Swell Alignment

November show further improvement: average swell height 2.1m, period 10.8s, and ideal wind 25%. Swell distribution still heavily favors SSW (25%) and SW (18%), with S at 13%. The wind pattern becomes more favorable: onshore easterlies (E, ESE, SE) total about 29%, while offshore quadrants (S, SSW, SW) account for about 23% plus WSW (18%) which can be cross-offshore. The north quadrant wind is almost gone (N 0.6%, NNE 0.6%). This means the odds of scoring a clean session are rising. The swell is still from the south, but with a longer period (10.8s) and a more frequent light southwest wind, the pier's peaks become cleaner and more user-friendly. November is a great transition month.