Ozaki - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (April - June & September - October)

Spring and autumn deliver the most promising combination of favorable swell direction and offshore wind windows at Ozaki. As the Pacific storm track begins to shift in April, the dominant Southeast swell builds into a solid, rideable range, while the frequency of offshore winds from the west and northwest increases. May is a standout month, with a notable jump in ideal wind conditions (up to 23% of the time) and a healthy share of Southeast swell in the 0.5-1.5m range. June continues the trend, though local sea breezes often kick in by midday. The autumn months of September and October see a resurgence of long-period Southeast and East-Southeast swell, driven by early-season typhoons and strengthening extratropical lows. While the wind is less consistent than in spring, the quality of the surf when the stars align – clean, lined-up Southeast groundswell with light offshore flow – is unmatched. This is the window to plan your trip for maximum potential.

Fair Surf Season (March & July - August & November)

March marks the transitional shift out of winter, with the average swell height nudging upward and offshore wind chances improving to 11%. However, the swell mix is often a messy combination of short-period east and southeast windswell, keeping wave quality inconsistent. The summer months of July and August see the highest percentage of offshore wind windows – up to 30% in July – due to a persistent thermal low driving afternoon sea breezes and a more stable westerly flow in the mornings. Yet, the swell direction shifts almost exclusively to south and south-southwest, which are less than optimal for Ozaki's east-southeast facing beach. Waves become more crumbly and less organized, though occasionally a long-period southern hemi swell can produce punchy, fun-sized waves. November offers a similar story to March: declining swell energy and a return to easterly swell dominance, but the offshore wind frequency holds at 12%, making for a few glassy sessions between winter storms.

Low Surf Season (December - February)

The height of winter is the least reliable time for quality surf at Ozaki. Average swell heights hover around 0.6-0.7m, and the wave period, while often in the 8-9 second range, is frequently chopped by strong onshore winds from the north-northeast. The offshore wind window (west to northwest) is present but only 6-10% of the time, and those rare clean days are often accompanied by small, weak swell. The dominant swell directions shift to east and east-southeast, which are directly onshore, ruining shape. Persistent high-pressure systems over Siberia drive cold northwesterly winds that often blow too hard (20-40 km/h), either destroying the surface or creating an onshore cross-wind. For the dedicated surfer, patience is key: the occasional long-period eastern swell can sneak through during a brief high-pressure ridge, offering a few makeable, if small, waves. But this is the season of groveling and chasing micro-sessions.

September: The Autumn Transition Lights Up

September is a prime month for Ozaki as the autumn transition brings more consistent, higher-quality swell. The average wave period jumps to 9.3s, and the average swell height remains at 1.0m. The dominant swell directions are the Southeast (29%) and East-Southeast (22.9%), both squarely in the optimal window. This is when the first strong extratropical lows begin to form in the North Pacific, sending long-period, clean groundswell. The wind becomes a bit more challenging: ideal offshore flow drops to 16% of the time, as the north-northeast monsoon winds begin to strengthen. However, the windows of calm between frontal passages offer glassy, lined-up waves in the fun-to-good range (1-1.5m often). The potential for a typhoon remnant to merge with a cold front can produce exceptional, ultra-long-period swell with heavy sections. September requires patience to pick the right day, but the payoff is well worth it – some of the best waves of the year occur this month.