Vairao • Statistics for September

September: Spring Thaw, Same Directional Puzzle

September marks the beginning of the spring transition, but for Vairao the surf chart still looks remarkably like winter. Average heights ease to 7ft (2.1m) and periods remain solid at 12.2s. Swell direction is still anchored in the SSE (22.7%) and S (23.1%) quadrants, with SSW at 12.8% and SE at 13.2%; the SW-WNW window falls to its lowest share of the year, just 1.6%. In other words, the ocean is full of energy, but almost none of it is aimed properly at this west-facing reef.

The wind is a mixed bag. Ideal offshore conditions improve slightly to 28%, and the E-ESE trade directions are still strong, but there are more light-wind interludes than midwinter. Water temperature is stable at 26.2°C, air warms just a touch to 25.0°C, and rainfall is minimal at 1.54mm/day. The occasional tropical low early in the season can throw a different angle, but September generally feels like a waiting game until the swell directions swing back toward the west in late spring.