St Ives • Statistics for January

January: The Atlantic Heavyweight

January fires on all cylinders. Average swell height checks in at a solid 2.5m (8ft) with a long-period average of 11.7s, making it one of the most powerful months of the year for this north-northwest facing beach. The dominant swell energy arrives from W (17.7%) and WSW (12.8%), with an important chunk from WNW (6.3%) that lines up almost perfectly with St Ives. With waves in the 1.5-2.5m range dominating the rose, there is no shortage of push - and the NW-NNW windows keep some quality in the mix. The wind story is classic winter: WSW (10.8%) and SW (10.5%) lead the pack, and when those directions blow, the bay is protected and the waves are groomed. The catch is that W and WNW winds also hold a big share, and those are onshore here, so the 16% ideal-conditions figure says it all. Expect raw, cold power with water temperatures around 10.0°C, air temps near 9.3°C and regular rain. If you pick the windows between frontal passages, January delivers memorable, heavy waves.