Newgale • Statistics for August

August: Peak Summer Lull

August mirrors July at the bottom of the surf year. Average swell height remains 2-3ft (0.8m), period stays at 6.6s, and the distribution is dominated by small westerly slabs: WSW 39.6 percent, SW 17.8 percent and W 11.7 percent combine for the highest swell-window total of the year, yet most of it is ankle-to-knee high. The onshore wind machine peaks in August, with SSW-SW-WSW-W winds blowing around 46 percent of the time, the worst of any month. Ideal offshore NNE through E wind is only 5 percent, so clean days are rare. The ocean is at its warmest, 17.1°C, with air temps averaging 15.6°C and precipitation at 3.04 mm/day, but the trade-off is the summer holiday flatness. Kites and SUP may get more use than shortboards. Keep an eye out for the first signs of autumn tropical activity or a low pressure system pushing up from the south-west, because these can occasionally send a surprise 3-4ft wave into the bay.