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.

January: Deep-Water Winter Gold

January sets the standard for The Ranch. Swell direction is heavily weighted toward the SW (34.7%) and WSW (32.4%), with a solid average height of 1.2m and a long average period of 13.5 seconds – that's powerful, rideable surf. A full 53% of the time the wind is offshore (mostly NNE and NE at light speeds under 10kph), grooming the lines beautifully. The rare southerly wind events (SSW 12.5%, SW 17.8%) can spoil it, but they are usually light. This is the month when winter storms in the North Pacific align perfectly with Ranch's orientation.