Backyards • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (December - March)

Backyards is a northwest-facing stretch of coast built to intercept North Atlantic groundswell. During December through March the mid-latitude storm track sets up shop off the US East Coast and the Caribbean, generating a steady conveyor belt of long-period NNW and NW swell. Average surf heights run in the 8-9ft (2.5-2.7m) range with periods of 11.7-12.8s, and the preferred NW quadrant accounts for 23-30% of the directional spectrum. Combined with offshore flow from the S/SSW/SW/WSW sectors 21-27% of the time, winter consistently offers the cleanest, most powerful surf of the year. A negative NAO phase can push the jet stream and its associated lows further south, adding even more size and energy to these swells.

Fair Surf Season (October - November and April)

October and November are the bridge months where the Atlantic is waking up. Swell heights climb from 6.6ft (2.0m) to 7.9ft (2.4m) and periods from 10.7s to 11.4s through autumn, with the first serious NNW/N pulses arriving after the equinox. April hangs on to some of the winter energy with 7.2ft (2.2m) swell at 10.3s, but the trade winds are gaining strength and the ideal-surfing-wind window drops to 16%. These months deliver good-to-great surf, but consistency and wind are less cooperative than mid-winter.

Low Surf Season (May - September)

From May through September, the Caribbean settles into a summer trade-wind regime. ENE and E swells dominate entirely, with average periods between 7.8s and 9.2s and average heights dropping to 5-6ft (1.6-1.8m). For a northwest-facing spot this is bad news: the swell is mostly short-period, cross-shore windswell, and the prevailing trades carry little of the offshore S/SW component that grooms Backyards. Ideal-surfing wind falls to 9-23% and true quality windows are rare, save for a hurricane or tropical system tracking nearby. It is the off-season: small, lumpy, and better suited to longboards than high-performance surfing.