Pools - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Atlantic swings into gear by October, and Pools feels the benefit with a solid uptick in average swell heights and periods. Winter months deliver the biggest surf, with average heights hovering around 1.5m and periods frequently punching into the 10-second range. This is when the fetch from extratropical lows generates powerful groundswells from the NNE and N, which line up best with the spot's NNW-facing orientation. However, the trade-off is wind: onshore northerlies are common, blowing out the wave faces. The key is a passing high-pressure ridge that flips the wind to SSW or S, creating clean, lined-up peaks. October and March offer the sweetest balance of size and favorable wind odds.

Fair Surf Season (April - May, September)

As the transition seasons set in, the swell engine loses some steam, but the wind patterns become more cooperative. April and May see average swell heights drop to 1.1-1.3m, with periods dipping into the 8-9 second range. The dominant swell direction shifts further east (NE to ENE), which means more waves arrive at an oblique angle and wrap less effectively into Pools. Still, the wind works in your favor more often, especially in April when the percentage of offshores (S/SSW) increases. September also fits this category – the first hints of autumn bring a small rebound in swell height and period, and the wind remains manageable, with over half the days offering ideal conditions.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer settles in and Pools goes quiet. Average swell heights bottom out at around 1.0m, and periods shrink to 6-7 seconds, resulting in lackluster, weak waves. The swell direction is overwhelmingly from ENE and E, which means the waves are shadowed by the coastline and rarely break with any power – they arrive too far off the angle to focus on the reef. While the wind is often offshore (southerly quadrants, giving a high percentage of clean days), the swell simply isn't there to make it worthwhile. This is the season for small-wave gear if you're desperate, but realistically, summer is a flat spell best spent exploring other activities or traveling to areas with more consistent trade-wind swells.

November: Full-On Autumn Power

November sees a significant ramp-up in swell energy as winter approaches. Average swell height jumps to 1.5m, and period holds at 10.0s, meaning more standing and powerful surf. The swell direction mix becomes grittier: NE (42.4%) and NNE (27.8%) dominate, with contributions from N (5.9%) and NNW (2.1%). There's also a greater percentage of waves over 2m (3.1% from NNE alone). However, the wind quality drops to 43% ideal, as onshore northerlies become more frequent with the stormier pattern. The month offers some of the biggest waves of the year, but you'll need to pick your windows carefully. The classic setup is a deep low off the coast generating robust N/NNE swell, followed by a high-pressure ridge that pushes in from the west, shutting off the wind and leaving clean, lined-up sets. When that happens, it's game on.