Saltburn • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

Saltburn hits its stride when the North Atlantic storm track wakes up in autumn. From October through March, the average swell height sits in the 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) range with wave periods hovering between 7.5 and 7.8s. The dominant swell directions-NNW, NNE and N-all line up with the beach's NNE-facing exposure, while the winter wind regime is dominated by S, SSW and SW flow. That means the North Sea windswell usually arrives with an offshore, groomed surface. It's not long-period groundswell; it's punchy, raw, locally generated wave energy, but it's consistently the best and most reliable surf of the year.

Fair Surf Season (April, May & September)

The transition months offer a gentler version of Saltburn. April, May and September see average swell heights in the 3-3.6ft (0.9-1.1m) range and periods around 6.7-7.3s. The direction is often still excellent-April in particular is dominated by NNE windswell-but the energy is smaller and the wind becomes more ambiguous, with onshore north-easterly days increasingly common. These months deliver fun, rippable waves on the good days, especially when a southerly land breeze cleans up a small northern swell.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is the North Sea's siesta. June through August, average swell heights drop to 2.3-2.6ft (0.7-0.8m), wave periods sink to between 5.9 and 6.4s, and the wave rose becomes dominated by small, weak NNE windswell. Offshore winds from the SW/WSW sector are actually still frequent, which can keep the surface clean, but there simply isn't enough ocean energy to push the surf above grovel territory. With water temperatures peaking around 15-16°C, it's a lovely time for a paddle, but only the occasional out-of-season low pressure system will make Saltburn genuinely surf.