Surf forecastStatisticsHistorical report

Off-The-Wall seasonal overview

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific winter machine roars to life, bringing powerful, long-period swell from the NW and NNW directly into the Off-The-Wall exposure. Average wave heights hover in the 2.4m to 2.7m range with periods consistently exceeding 11 seconds, often cranking into the 15-19s very powerful category. This deep-water energy wraps around the North Shore and unloads with serious punch. Offshore winds from the SE through SW quadrant, while less frequent, occur up to 27% of the time, setting up glassy, hollow conditions. This is when the spot lives up to its name – waves stand up tall and offer that signature barrel.

Fair Surf Season (April, May, September)

As the Aleutian low-pressure system weakens, swell heights drop to the 1.7m - 2.2m range and periods shorten to 9-10 seconds. The dominant swell direction shifts to NE and ENE, which are not ideal for Off-The-Wall's NW orientation, producing more walled-up, less focused waves. However, occasional late-season NNW pulses or early autumn NW swells can still light things up. Offshore wind frequency sits around 16-24%, making for cleaner but less consistent surf. It's a solid window for intermediate to advanced surfing on good days.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer trades dominate, and Off-The-Wall goes into a deep slumber. The swell drops to a meager 1.6-1.7m average with periods barely scraping 8 seconds, resulting in weak, mushy waves. Nearly all the energy comes from the ENE (over 50% of the time), a direction that generates poor wave shapes here – usually closeouts or soft shoulders. On top of that, onshore and cross-shore winds from the E and ENE blow the vast majority of the time, with ideal offshore wind (SE-SW) occurring just 10-14% of the months. This is the time to explore other spots, tune your groveler, or simply wait for the first autumn storm to reawaken the lineup.

Loading chart...

Conditions at Off-The-Wall in January

January: The Deep Freeze Delivers

January is the peak of the North Pacific storm track. Average swell height hits 2.7m with a beefy 12.8s period. Swell direction is dominated by NNW (16.2%) and NW (9.5%), both of which are perfect for Off-The-Wall's NW exposure. These long-period, powerful groundswells wrap around and produce clean, hollow waves when the wind cooperates. Unfortunately, wind conditions are tricky: E (23.1%) and ENE (17.8%) blow frequently, creating cross-shore chop. But when the pressure gradient sets up an outflow from the south, offshore SSW (3.7%) and SW (5.7%) winds can glass the faces. The ideal wind percentage is 27%, so patience is key – the reward is world-class winter surf.

Average Spot conditions at Off-The-Wall in January

Swell history for January

0 - 0.5
0.5 - 1
1 - 1.5
1.5 - 2.0
2.0 - 2.5
> 2.5 m

Wind history for January

0 - 10
10 - 20
20 - 30
30 - 40
40 - 50
> 50 km/h

Swell quality

Analyze the groundswell consistency at Off-The-Wall during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Off-The-Wall for your next trip in January.

Ground swell

Ground swell by size

Wind conditions

Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Off-The-Wall for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Off-The-Wall.

Swell with good wind

Swell with good wind by size