The Ranch - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

As winter takes hold, the North Pacific storm track shifts south, sending consistent, long-period SW and SSW swell marching into The Ranch. With an average period hovering around 13.5 seconds and heights in the fun 1-1.5m range, these months deliver clean, powerful surf. The key is the wind: offshore flow from the N, NNE, and NE quadrants dominates over 50% of the time from December through January, smoothing out faces and creating pristine conditions. November and February also see high percentages of favorable wind, making this the true window for quality waves.

Fair Surf Season (April - September)

Spring and summer bring a noticeable uptick in average swell height, peaking at 1.7m in September, and periods remain in the 13-14 second range. The swell direction is almost exclusively from the S through SW – perfect for the SSW-facing beach. However, the wind story changes dramatically. The percentage of offshore wind drops below 40%, and the prevailing flow shifts to S, SSW, and SW, blowing directly onshore and chopping up the surf. You'll still find pockets of clean waves during early morning offshore breezes or when weak systems pass, but consistency is low. This is a fair season for the patient surfer.

April: Spring's Powerful, Windy Swell

April delivers the first real jump in swell size – average height hits 1.4m with a long period of 14.1s. Swell direction is now heavily concentrated in the SSW (54.4%) and SW (40.2%), and there's a noticeable amount of 1.5-2m surf (19.1% SSW, 13.4% SW). This is powerful stuff. However, offshore wind plummets to just 32%. The onshore SSW (19.8%) and SW (26.3%) winds dominate, often creating choppy, bumpy waves. The Ranch becomes a trade-off: solid groundswell but messy conditions. Look for lighter wind days or early windows.