Roads End - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October – March)

The heart of the North Pacific winter delivers the goods at Roads End. From October through March, a relentless conveyor belt of extratropical storms spins across the Aleutians and Gulf of Alaska, firing long-period W, WNW, and NW swell into the Oregon coastline. Average wave heights range from a solid 2.0m to a pumping 2.8m, with periods routinely in the 12-13 second range—prime territory for powerful, lined-up waves. Wind is ideal for surfing roughly one-third of the time, often when cool high-pressure ridges settle inland, producing light offshore or side-offshore breezes. These months offer the most consistent combination of size and quality for experienced surfers.

Fair Surf Season (April & September)

April and September act as transitional windows, offering a mix of fading winter energy and building autumn juice. April still sees average swell heights around 2.1m and periods near 11.6s, but ideal wind drops to 20% as spring low-pressure systems bring more variable, often southerly, winds. Conversely, September sees a return of longer-period WNW swell from early-season storms, with average heights around 1.5m and a solid 10.8s period, while the percentage of ideal wind jumps to 27% as fall patterns settle. These months can deliver fun, clean waves on the right days, but consistency drops off noticeably from the core winter peak.

Low Surf Season (May – August)

Summer at Roads End is a quiet affair. From May through August, the average swell height bottoms out between 1.3m and 1.6m, with periods averaging 9.7-10.8s—plenty of 1-1.5m fun-sized waves but rarely the power or size to get the heart racing. The dominant swell direction shifts to a narrow WNW-to-NW band, often wrapping in at less than ideal angles. More critically, the region falls under the influence of the North Pacific High, which drives persistent northwesterly winds. Ideal wind percentages plummet to just 7-14%, meaning onshore or cross-onshore flow is the norm. Surfable waves exist, but you'll be groveling on a shortboard or waiting for an infrequent combo of small W swell and a rare easterly breeze.

May: Groveling Season Begins

May marks the doorstep of summer and a significant drop in both size and quality. Average swell height falls to 1.6m, and period contracts to 10.8s. The swell direction tightens to a narrow WNW (33.6%) and W (31.9%) band, with most energy in the 1-1.5m range—fun-sized but lacking punch. Ideal wind plummets to just 14%. The wind rose is dominated by NNW (23.4%) and N (14.0%) breezes, which blow nearly alongshore or slightly onshore, creating lumpy seas. A rare easterly wind (E/ESE/SE) occurs only about 3% of the time. May is for logging small-wave miles and groveling on a shortboard; wait for a sneaky W swell with a light offshore breeze.