Refsnes - surf spot statistics

Refsnes, Norway, offers a mix of conditions throughout the year, with the best surf typically occurring during the winter months. The most consistent and powerful swells arrive between December and February, when ground swell makes up 25-29% of the swell mix, combining with a dominant wind swell (66-72%). Mean swell sizes peak around 2.0-2.2m during these months, providing solid waves for experienced surfers. However, wind conditions are generally unfavorable (85-87% bad wind days), meaning clean surf sessions are relatively rare. The transition months of September to November show improving ground swell presence (14-20%) and slightly better mean swell sizes (1.4-1.9m), but wind quality remains poor (87-88% bad winds). From April to August, conditions deteriorate significantly, with very low ground swell influence (4-22%) and small mean swell sizes (1.0-1.2m). Summer months (June-August) are particularly weak, with high wind swell dominance (75-79%) and increased no-swell days (15-20%). Wind conditions remain consistently poor year-round, rarely dropping below 83% bad wind days. For surfers willing to brave the cold, late autumn through early winter (November-February) offers the best chance for rideable waves, though finding clean conditions will require patience and good timing.

In April, Refsnes offers surfable conditions with an average swell height of 1.2m and a decent period of 8.7s, indicating generally clean and rideable waves. The swell direction is predominantly from the NW-WNW sector, with the majority of waves in the 0.5-2m range, providing a mix of smaller and mid-sized surf. The highest percentage of rideable waves occurs in the 0.5-1.5m range, particularly from WNW (13.07% at 0.5-1m) and NW (7.16% at 0.5-1m), while larger waves over 2m are less frequent but still present, mostly from SW-WSW. Wind conditions are optimal for surfing only 17% of the time, with the best chances occurring when winds are light (0-20kph) from the N-NNW or SW-WSW. Stronger winds, particularly from the SE-SSE and NNW, can create choppy conditions. Overall, April delivers a mix of small to mid-sized waves, with the best sessions likely when winds are offshore or light, favoring the NW-WNW swells. Patience and timing are key to scoring clean surf this month.