Pine Trees - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (November - March)

The North Pacific winter machine roars to life, delivering consistent, long-period groundswell to this exposed west-southwest beach. Average swell heights hover around 1.0-1.2m with periods averaging 13.3-13.5s, providing powerful, rideable waves. The favorable offshore wind regime from the NNE to E quadrant blows clean roughly 28-29% of the time, thanks to strong high-pressure systems over the interior. Keep an eye on the NAO and local pressure gradients: a negative NAO often funnels more NW swell into the islands, and when the wind aligns, Pine Trees truly shines.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & October)

Transitional months where the swell pulse weakens slightly but the ocean still offers fun, rippable waves. April sees average swell of 0.9m with periods still long (13.8s) as southern hemisphere groundswell mix with the tail end of winter energy. Wind consistency drops to 20% ideal in April and 14% in May as the thermal trough sets up, bringing afternoon onshore flow. October marks the return of winter swells with average heights at 0.9m and periods steadily climbing, while the wind picks up to 19% ideal. These months require patience and strategic timing to score the best conditions.

Low Surf Season (June - September)

Summer settles in, bringing a drastic shift to small, wind-affected surf. Average swell heights bottom out at 0.8m, with a heavy dominance of short-period southern hemi windswell (S, SSE). The persistent trade wind regime (WSW, SW) blows onshore more than 70% of the time, reducing ideal wind to a mere 5-12%. Waves are often small, groveling and messy, making it the least reliable period for quality surf at Pine Trees. However, occasional tropical storms or southern hemi pulses can provide brief windows of fun-sized waves, so stay tuned to the forecast.

May: Small but Sometimes Clean

The swell dials down significantly, averaging 0.9m with long periods of 14.0s. Southerly swell dominates massively (S: 52.2%, SSE: 17.4%), which is largely unfavourable for the beach's orientation. The optimal swell directions (SSW through W) account for only about 28% of total swell. Wind conditions degrade further, with ideal offshore flow only 14% of the time. Persistent SW to WSW trade winds create onshore chop most afternoons. The best chance of scoring a fun, groveling session is early morning when light land breezes often kick in, and if a rare southern hemisphere storm sends a pulse that sneaks in from the SSW.