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Conditions at Cardiff Reef in August
August: The Slowest Month, With Long-Period South Pulses
August brings the smallest average swell height of the year at about 3ft (0.9m). Swell direction is dominated by SW (45.9%), WSW (30.4%) and SSW (16.5%), with a touch of W (6.8%). The average period remains long at 13.6s, so the swell has that smooth, groundswell character, but the wave heights are mostly in the 2-3ft (0.6-0.9m) range. Only a small portion of observations reach 3-5ft (1-1.5m), and XL days are nonexistent. This is the heart of the summer small-wave season.
The wind situation offers little relief: ideal surfing wind remains at 1 percent. W (42.7%), WSW (25.1%), WNW (13.4%) and SW (10.4%) add up to a near-constant onshore flow. Cardiff's exposure to the west and southwest means these winds hit the beach straight on. Any decent waves will be found in the early morning, before the sea breeze erases the surface. Water temperature peaks at 19.3°C, and rainfall is essentially zero at 0.12 mm/day.
Average Spot conditions at Cardiff Reef in August
Swell history for August
Wind history for August
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cardiff Reef during August. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Cardiff Reef for your next trip in August.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cardiff Reef for August. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Cardiff Reef.